SLAVE NARRATIVES A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews ivith Former Slaves TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT. 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Illustrated with Photographs WASHINGTON 1941 \ VOLUME IV GEORGIA NARRATIVES PART 3 Prepared by the Federal Writers1 Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Georgia Kendricks, Jennie Kilpatrick, Emmaline Kimbrough, Frances King, Charlie Kinney, Nicey Larken, Julia Lewis, George McCommons, Mirriam McCree, Ed McCullough, Lucy McDaniel, Amanda McGruder, Tom Mclntosh, Susan McEinney, Matilda McWhorter, William Malone, Mollie Mason, Charlie Matthews, Susan Mays, Emily Mention, Liza Miller, Harriet Mitchell, Mollie Mobley, Bob Nix, Fanny Nix, Henry 1 Ogletree, Lewis 8 Orford, Richard 14 16 Parkes, Anna 21 Pattillio, G. W. Pope, Alec 34 Price, Annie 47 Pye, Charlie Raines, Charlotte 51 Randolph, Fanny- 56 Richards, Shade 66 Roberts, Dora 71 Rogers, Ferebe 76 Rogers, Henry 78 Rush, Julia 88 91 Settles, Nancy 104 Sheets, fill 108 Shepherd, Robert 115 Singleton, Tom 118 Smith, Charles 121 Smith, Georgia 126 Smith, Mary 133 Smith, Melvin 136 Smith, Nancy Smith, Nellie Smith, Paul 139 Stepney, Smeline 143 Styles, Amanda 146 149 153 165 171 178 185 189 194 200 206 209 217 229 232 236 245 264 274 278 285 288 295 304 320 339 343 ' Whitley, 100223 L ^ r - AjSriskell l-22-*36 /^ , Page 1. # EX SL&VE JENNIE KENISIICES^ J i^-r Jennie Kendricks, the oldest of 7 children, was born in Sheram, Georgia in 1855* Ser parents were Martha and Henry Bell. She says that the first thing she remembers is that1of being whipped by her mother. Jennie Kendricks1 grandmother and her ten children lived on this same plantation* The grandmother had been brought to Georgia from Virginia; "She used to tell me how the slave dealers brought her and a group of other children along much the same as they would a herd of cattlefw *y5aid the jibe- ^ I foavefL» when tiiey reached a town all of them had to dance through the streets \ and act lively so that the chances for selling them would be greater*• -——- When asked to tell about Mr. Moore, her owner, and his family Jennie Kendricks stated that although her master owned and operated a large plantation, he was not considered a wealthy man. He owned only two other slaves besides her immediate family and these were men* In Mr. Moores family were his mother, his wife, and six children (four boys and two girls) ? This family lived very comfortably in a two storied weatherboard house. With the exception of our grandmother who cooked for the owner1 s family and slaves, and assisted her mistress with housework all the slaves worked in the fields where they cultivated cotton and the corn, as well as the other produce grown there* Every morning at sunrise they had to get up and go to the fields where they worked until it was too dark to see. At noon each day they were permitted to come to the kitchen, located just a short distance in the rear of the master1 s house, where they were served dinner. During the course of the dayfs work the women shared all the men's work except plowing. All of them picked cotton when it was time to gather the crops. Seme nights they were required to . Briskell Whitley, Bage £• * 2 1-22-37 spin and to help Mrs* Moore, who did all of the weaving* They used to do their own personal workf at night also* Jennie Kendricks says,11 she remembers hew her mother and the older girls would go to the spring at night where they washed their clothes and then left them to dry on the surrounding bushes* As a little girl Jennie Kendricks spent all of her time in the master*s house where she played with the young white children* Some- times she and Mrs* Moorefs youngest child, a little boy, would fight be- cause it appeared to one that the other was receiving more attention from Mrs* Moore than the other* As she grew older she was kept in the house as a playmate to the Moore children so she never had to work in the field a single day. She stated that they all vpre good clothing and that all of it was made on the plantation with one exception. The servants spun the thread and Mrs. Idoore and her daughters did all of the weaving as well as the making of the dresses that were worn on this particular plantation* "The ftay they made this cloth,ff She continued", was to wind a certain a amount of thread known as a "cut" onto a reel* $hen a certain number of cuts were reached they were placed on the loom. This cloth was colored with a dye made from the bark of trees or with a dye that was made from the indigo berry cultivated on the plantation* The drewses that the women were on working days were made of striped or checked materials while these worn on Sunday were usually white*" She does not know what the men were on work days as she never came in contact with them* Stockings for all were knitted on the place* The shoes, which were the one exception mentioned above, were made by one Bill Jacobs, an elderly white man who made the shoes for all the plantations Briskell Whitley, Page 3. 1-22-37 in the community. The grown people wtoe heavy shoes called "Brogans*1 while those worn by the children were not so heavy and were called wPekerstf be- cause of their narrow sppe»rance. For Sunday wear, all had shoes bought for this purpose* Mr. Moorefs mother was a tailoress and at times, when the men were able to get the necessary material, she made their suits# There was always enough feed for everybody on the Moore plan- tation. Mrs. Moore once told Jennie*s mother to always see that her children had sufficient to eat so that they woujjL^not have to steal and would therefore grow up to be honorable* As the Grandmother did all of the cooking, none of the other servants ever had to cook, not even on Sundays or other holidays such as the Fourth of July. There was no stove in this plantation kitchen, all the cooking was done at the large fireplace where there were a number of hooks called potracks. The pets, in'which the cooking was done, hung from these hooks directly over the fire. The meals served during the week consisted of vegetables, salt bacon, corn bread, pot liquor, and milk. On Sunday they were served milk, biscuits, vegetables, and sometimes chicken. Jennie Kendricks ate all of her meals in the master1 s house and says that her food was even better. She was also permitted to go to the kitchen to get food at any i tjjc^4*»iiLg^the day*_, Jiametimes when the boys went hunting everyone was Y I ^iven roast fpossum and other small game. The two male slaves were often l\ permitted to accompany them but were not allowed to handle the guns. None of the slaves had individual gardens of their own as food sufficient for their needs was raised in the masterfs garden. The houses that they lived in were one-roomed structures made 7 of heavy plank instead of logs, with planer 'floors. At one end of this one-rocmed cabin there was a large chimney and fireplace made of rocks, mud, Whitley, Briskell 1-22-37 Pa§e 4* and dirt* In addition to the one door, there was a window at the back. Only one family could live in a cabin as the space was so limited* The furnishings of each cabin consistpof a bed and one or two chairs* The beds were well constructed, a great deal better than same of the beds the ex-slave saw during these days. Regarding mattresses she said, "We took seme tick and stuffed it with dotton and corn husks, which had been tern into small pieces and when we get through sewing it looked like a mattress that was bought in a store." Light was furnished by lightwood torches and sometimes by the homemade tallow candles• The hot tallow was poured into a candle mold, which was then dipped into a pan of cold water, when the tallow had hardened, the finished product was removed. Vilhenever there was sickness, a doctor was always called* As a child Gussie was rather sickly, and a doctor was always called to attend to her. In addition to the doctor's prescriptions there was heart leaf tea and a warm remedy of garlic tea prepared by her grandmother * If any of the slaves ever pretended sickness to avoid work, she she knows nothing about it« As a general rule, slaves were not permitted to learn to read or write,, but the younger Moore children tried to teach her to spell, read, and r,vrite. Whsn she used to stand around Mrs. Moore when she was sewing \she appeared to be interested and so she was taught to sew. *""" Every Sunday afternoon they were all permitted to go to town where a colored pastor preached to them. This same minister performed all marriages after the candidates had secured the permission of the master. Ther^was only one time when Mr# &oore found it necessary to sell any of his slaves^ On this occasion he had to sell two* he saw that they were sold to another kind master• ^ The whipping on most plantation were atoinisterd byfche seers and Driskell 1-22-37 $hitley, Page 5, 5 in some cases punishment was rather severe* There was no overseer on this plantation. Only one of Mr* Moorefs sons told the field hands what to do*; When this son went to war it "became necessary to hire an overseer* Once he attempted to whip one of the women but when she refused to allow him to ^hip her he never tried to whip any of the others. Jennie Kendricks1 husband, who was also a slave, once told her his master was so mean that he often whipped his slaves until bfcood ran in their shoes. There was a group of men, knomi as the Matter-Rollers*, whose duty it was to see that slaves were not allowed to leave their individual plantations without passes whi£h were supposed to receive from their masters* f,A heap of them got whippings for being caught off without these passes**/'' She stated adding that sometimes a few of them were fortunate enough to es- cape from the Patter-Rollers*1. J She knew of one boy who, after having out- run the ?,Patter~Rollersff, proceeded to make fun of them after he was safe behind his master1s fence. Another man wh^om the Patter-Rollers had pur- sued any number of times but vjho had always managed to escape, was finally caught one day and told to pray before he was given his whipping. As he obeyed he noticed that he was not being closely observed.whereupon he made a break that resulted in his escape from them again* The treatment on seme of the other plantations was so severe that slaves often ran away, Jennie Kendricks told of one man fee lag lashed^ r;ji away but was finally caught. VJhen his master brought him back he was locked in a room until he could be punished. itfhen the master finally came to administer \ the whipping, Lash had cut his own threat in a last effort to eecure fclis tfcace \ \freedom. He was not successful; his life was saved by quick action on the part of his master• Sometime later after rough handling ^ash finally killed his master/>£ was burned at the stake for this crime* Page 6* 1/fhitley, Driskeil 1-22-37 Other slaves were more successful at escape, seme being able to remain a^ay for as long as three years at a time* At nights, they slipped to the plantation where they stole hogs and other food* Their shelters were usually caves, some times holes dug in the ground* YJhenever they were caught, they were severely whipped. A slave might secure his freedom without running away* This is true in the case of Jennie Kendricks* grandfather who, after hiring his time out for a number of years, was able to save enough money with which to pur- chase himself from his master. Jennie Kendricks remembers very little of the talk between her master and mistress concerning the war* She does remember being takan to see the Confederate soldiers drill a short distance from the house* She says WI though it was very pretty, fcourse I didfnt know what was causing ,this or sing ;twu what the results would ben* Mr. Moore1 s oldest sons went to war himself did not enlist until the war was nearly over* She was told that the Yankee sol- diers burned all the gin houses and took all live stock that they saw while on ; the march, but no soldiers passed near their plantation* After the war ended and all the slaves had been set free, some -^¦ jjjbtf did not know it they remained on the Moore property where her grandmother finally died. Her mother moved away when freedom was declared and started working for someone else. It was about this time that Mr. Moore began to prosper, he and his brother Marvin gone into bus- iness together* 9, According to Jennie Kendricks, she has lived to reach such a ripe old age because she has always been obedient and because she has alwasy been Page 7. Ihitley, ,. Dri skell 1-E2-37 a firm believer in God. < 8 S* ^ «& EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW: ^ E1MALINE KILPATRICK Age 74 White Plains, Greene Co,, Ga. BY: SARAH H. HALL ATHENS, GA. X 100068' ¦ ¦ '-• -I Bora a slaver on the pIan tati on of ¦ Judge William Watson Moore, White -Plains*(Greene County.)Georgia* Gfeia morning in October, as I finished planting hyacinth bulbs on my cemetery lot, I saw an old negro woman approaching. She was Emmaline Kilpatrick,born in 1863, on my grandfather* s plantation* *lEawnint Kiss Sarah,* she began, *Ah seed yer out hyar in de graveyard, en I cum right erlong far ter git y^r ter read yof Aunt Willie's birthday, of fen her toomstone, en put it in writin* fer me*1* •I donft mind doing that for you, Smmaline,*" I replied, '•but why do you want to know my aunt's birthday?* "Well,* answered the old ex-slave, *I cani11 rightly tell mah age no udder way* My mazmaar, she tole me, I muz bamned de same night es FJLss Millie iftiz, en mammy allus tole me effen I ever want tar knew hew ole I is, jes* ask my white folks how ole Miss Willie is./* When I had pencilled the birthdate on a scrap of paper torn from my note book and she had tucked it carefully away in a pocket in her clean blue checked gingham apron, Smmaline began to talk of the old days on my grandfather's farm* *Kiss Sarah, Ah sho did-love yo1 aunt Willie* We wuz chilluns ^growin* up tergedder on Marse 3illiefs place* You mought not knm it, but black chilluns gits grown heap faster den while chilluns, en whilst us played f round de yard, en orchards, en pastures out dar, 1 I wuz sposed ter take care er Miss Willie en not let her git hurt, er \ nuthin* happen ter her* a 2. •My matmy say dat whan Mars.a Billie cum horn* frum de War, he call all his niggers tergeddar en tell * am day is free* en doan bflong ter nobody no mo*, He say dat any uf fum dat want to, kin go fway and live whar day laka, en do lak day wanter. Ho«same ebber, he do say affen anybody Y/ants tar stay w£>id him, en live right on in de sane cabins, day kin do it, effen day promise him tar be good niggers an mine him lak dey allus dona*11 "Most o.ll de niggers stayed v/id Marse Billie, fae^seti two er thee brash, good :er nu.thints.fl Standing: there in the cemetery, as I listened to old Efcuraline tell of the old days, I could see cotton being loaded on freight cars at the depot* I asked Emmaline to tell what she could remem- ber of the days whan we had no railroad to haul the cotton to market* "'Wall,* she saidt *Fore dis hyar railroad wuz made, day hauled de cotton ter da Pint {She meant Union Point) an sold it d&r* Ba Pint* s jesf fbout twelve miles fum hyar, Fof day had er railroad thu de Pint, Marse Billie used ter haul his cotton clear down ter Joolc ter sell it* My manny say dat long fof de War he used ter v/ait twel all de cotton vrus picked in de fall, en den he would have f it ell loaded on his hoggins. STotlong fo* sundown he wud start de waggins off, wid yo* unker Anderson bossin* em, on de all night long ride towards Tools. *Bout fof in de mawnin* Harse Billie en yof grammar, Miss Margie, fud start off in da surrey, driving da bays, en fof dam waggins git ter Tools Marse Billie done cotch up wid em. Ha drive er head en lead em on tar da cotton mill in Tools, whar ha sail all his cotton. Ban him en Kiss Margie, dey go ter de mill sto* en Page 2» 11 buy white sugar en udder things day doa.ri raise on de plantation, en load f em on de waggins en start back hone.* "But Smmaliria ,H I interrupted, *Sherman1 s army passed through Jew a Is and burned the houses and destroyed the property there. How did the people market their cotton then?" Stnrnaline scratched her head. "Ah fmembers somapin fbout dat.* sh^^de clarsd. "Yassum, I shof does f member my ^erimy say in1 dat folks sad when de Fedfrals vras bunnln* up evvy thing fbout Jools* dey vmz sat tin1 fire tar de mill, when de boss uv dem sDjers look up en see ar sign up over er upstairs vrindov/. Hit v/uz de Masonfs sign up day, kaze dat wuz de Ha3onfs lodge hall up over de mill. De sojar boss, he meks de udder sojars put out. da fire* He say him er \ Mason Ms self er: ha ainr g«vine sea nobuddy bum up er Masonic Hall. j Day kinder teors up some uv de fixin*s er de Hill v/uks, but day ! dasssnt burn down de mill house ka^e ha ain1 t let f em do nuthin1 ter '•¦ de ?casonic Hall.* Yer knave, Hiss Ssrah, Ah v/uz jesf fbout two yes-rs ole v:han dat happen, but I ainft hesrad nuffinf fbout no time ?;hen day did denr taka cotton tar Joels ever year twel de railroad come hyar.11 *Did yer ax me v/ho rahfad tj maw en paw? ^hy, Karse Billie didt cose he did! He vruz Jedga Hoora, Farse Billie vmz, en he wone gsrina hav no foolisfmant fmongst 'is niggers. Fof de War en durinf de War, de niggers v/ar:t tar de same church .vhar dare v/hite folks v/ant. Oily de niggars, dey set en de gsllary.,* "Harse Billie rade-cll his niggers vr.ik doughty hard, but he shor *uk ~°od kaar uv f am. Hiss Hernia allies ;:.c da * em send far har v/han la chilluns v:uz bav/ned in de slsvs oabins. tHy mammy, she say, Ise fbout de onliest slave baby Hiss ?rargie didenr look aftar da bswnin, "i. di;t olant^M^ ^ken e^y nigger on dat farm «uz sick, K&rse Billie Fagg 4« m seed dat he had medicine en lookin* atier, en ef he wuz "bad sick Marse Billie had de white folks doctor come see fbout fim.* "Did us hev shoes? Yas ffafain us hed shoes* Dat wuz all ole ^egleg wuz good fer, jes ter rrek shoes, en fix shoes atter dey wuz fbout ter give out* Pegleg made de svry day shoes for Iferse Billife** own chilluns, fcept now en den Marse Billie fetched f em home soise sto* bought shoes ftm Jools** "Yassum, us shof wuz skeared er ghosts. Deis days when de Wajr Y/onft long gone, niggers sho* wuz skert er graveyards* Kosf eTTy nigger leap1 er rabbit foot, kaze ghosties wone gwine bodder nobuddy dat hed er lef* hind foot frtm er graveyard rabbit* Dem days dar wuz r.os* allus woods 'round de graveyards, en it uz easy ter ketch er rabbit e;z he loped outer er graveyard. Iawsy, Kiss Sarah, dose days Ah sho1 wouldn't er been standin* hyar in no graveyard talkin* ter ennybody, eben in wide open daytime** —v *3n yOV ax mi2 3Qy Qnny thing else uz wuz skert uv? YasseuPfUs ellus did git iroughty oneasy ef er scritch orwl hollered et night* Pappy ud hop right out er his bed en stick de fire shovel en de coals. Sffsn he did dat rat quick, en look over fis leff shoulder whilst de shovel gittinf hot, den maybe no nigger gwine die dat week ^on dat plantation. 3n us nebber did lak ter fine er hawse tail hair en de hawse trough, kaze us wuz shof ter rneet er snake for long.*. ttYassuin, us had chawms fer heap er things* Us got 'em fum er ole Injun * osan dat lived crost de crick* Her sold us chawms ter mek de nens lak us, en chawros dat would ^it er boy baby, er anudder kind er ohawrr: effen yer want er gal baby. Kiss Margie allus scold rbout de chawrcs, en mek us shamed ter wear rem, fcept she doan mine ef us wear asserfitily channs ter keep off fevers, en she doan say nuffin when my mammy wear er nutmeg on a wool string f round her neck ter keep off de rheumatiz. *!n is you got ter git on home now, Miss Sarah? Lemma tote dat hoe en trowel ter yer car fer yer- Yer gwine ter take me home in yer car wid yer, so ez I kin weed yer flower gyarden for night? Yassum, I shof will be proud ter do it fer de black dress you wof las1 year- Ah gwine ter git evvy speck er grass outer yof flowers* kazet ainr you jesf lak yo* grainmaw - my Miss Margie-11 Pltos of birth: On Kimbrough plants*on, Harries County, near C&tatila, Georgia Date of births About 1854. rresent residence: 168° - 8th .venue., Coluabus, Gsorgia Interviewedj August •?, 1956 *&unt Franc fcs" story revefels that, her young "searst*!*1 wee lr. Jessie Ki&brough—»& Earn who disd when she w&s about eighteen years at *&•• But a fa* weeks later, while working in the field one day, she saw "liars* Jessie's" ghost leaning against a pins "w&fcchin us free frig ers wtteKln." 'Shsn she was: about twenty*two years of age, *e Jealous Mg er o&an" "trloked" her. The"»psllw cast by this "bad asao" sf fee ted ths victlr'e left arc and aa&d. Both bectuas nu&b tmd guvs her great "nisary*. * peculiar feature of this visitation of the Moonjurer*s" spite was: if « friend or any one massaged or even touoh* ©d the sufferer's afflicted anr; or hand, thut person w&s also sinllfirly stricken the following day, always recovering, however, on the second cluy. Finally, "Auntn ?r^r.cfcs sot in touoh with a "hoodoo" dootor, a man who lived In r.usooge© county—about t«tfenty«fl*e iiiiea distant from her. This bum paid the patient on© visit, then gave her 8 15 abseat treatment for several weeks, at the end of which tiz&e she reoovered the full use of her ane end htmd. neither ever gave her any trouble again. For her old-time "white fokes", "Att&V Frenefcs entertain* en ajusoat worshipful jsetsory. Also, in her old fcge, she reflate* the superstitious type of her race. Being so young when freedor. was declared, eieanoipation did not nave as : uch significance for n^untw Frances" as it did for the older colored people. In truth, she had no true conception of what it "wuz all about" until sevoraJ years latsr. But she does know that she had better food and clothes before the slaves were freed than she had in the years immediately following. She is deeply religious, as i::o»t ex-slaves are, but—as typical of the majority of arved i.e&roes—associates "hants" and super- stitio; with her religion. r-*~~K c^' — to- Mary A. Crawford > 4 Mary A. Crawford Re-Search Worker 10 Charlie King------Bs-Slave '° Interviewed Charlie was born in Sandtown, (now Woodbury) Meriwether County, Georgia, porhaps eighty-five or sixlyears ago. He does not know his exact age beoause his "age got burned up** '• when the house in which his parents lived was burned to the ground^yeaga-ago . The old man's parents, Ned and Ann King, wore olarea uf Mr. John King, who owned] a big plantation near Sandtown,le Master" and"£*Le Miss" did the doctoring, sometimes giving them salts or oil, and if ^ the^r refused to take it ?they used the raw hide "whup," Vtfien a member of a Negro family died > the ua ster permitted all the Negroes to stop work and go to the funeral. The slave was buried in the slave grave yard. Sometimes a white minister read the Bible service, but usually a Negro preacher conducted the gorvi-ee. The Negroes on this plantation had to work from sun up till sun do?ra, except Saturday and Sunday; those were free* f V * The master blew on a big cooch shell every morning at (four; o'clock, and when the first long blast was heard the lights "*gin to twinkle in every '^Nigger * cabin." Charlie ^chuckling) recalled that "ole Master" blowed that shell so it could-a- been heard for five/miles." When the shell was-blown, ^ome of the"Niggers" went to feed the mules and horses, some to milk the cows, some to cook the breakfast in the big house, 18 some to chop the wood, while others were busy cleaning up the "big house*" When asked if he believed in signs, Charlie replied: nI sho does for dis reason, Gnce jest befo my baby brother died, ole screech owl, he done come and set up in the big oak tree right at the doah by de bed and fof the next twelve hours passed, my brother was dead* Screech owls allus holler fround the house before death*n The slaves always had plenty to eat and wear> and therefore did not know what it was to be hungry* The Master planted many acres of cotton, corn, wheat, peas, and all kinds of garden things* Svery "Kigger family was required to raise plenty of sweet potatoes, the Master giving them a patch*n "My fole faster * trained his smartestfKiggersf to do certain kinds of work. My mother was a good weaver, aad wove all the cloth for her own family, and bossed the weaving of all the other weavers on the plantation. Charlie and all of his ten brothers and sisters helped to card and spin the cotton for the looms* Sometimes they worked all night, Charlie often going to sleep while carding, when his mother would crack him on the head with the carder handle and wake him up. Each child had a night for carding and spinning, so they all would get a chance Vo sleep* Every Saturday night ;the Negroes had a "breakdown,n often 19 dancing all night long* About twelve o1 clock they had a big supper, everybody bringing a box of all kinds of good things to eat, and putting it on a long table* On Sunday ;all the darkies had to go to church* Sometimes the faster had a house on his plantation for "Mm preaching plafre» and sometimes the slaves had to go ten or twelve,miles to preaching* When they went so far the slaves could use folef Master1sf mules and wagons* Charlie recalls very well when the Yankees came through* The first thing they did when they reached fole Liasterfsf place was to break open the smokehouse and throw the best hams and shoulders out to the darkies, but as soon as the Yankees passed^ the white folks made the "Higgers" take "all dey had'nt et upw back to the smokehouse** Yes, Miss, we had plenty of liquor* Ole Master always kept kegs of it in the cellar and big fJimmy-johnfsf full in the house, and every Saturday niglri hefd give us darkies a dram, but nobody nevah seed no drunk Nigger lak dey does now*" Charlie's mother used to give her "chillun" "burnt whiskey*1 every morning "to start the day off*" This burnt whiskey gave them "long life". Another thing that Charlie recalls about the Yankees coming 20 through, was that they took the saddles off their "old sore baok horses*" turned them loose \SrBad caught some of llaster's fine "bosses'*.irr tUeir~p±srcet threw the saddles over them and rode away. Charlie said though "ole Marster" "whupped" when it was necessary, but he was not "onmerciful" like some of the other nole &arstersw were, but the "paterolers would sho lay it on if they caught a Nigger off his home plantation without a pass*11 The passes were written statements or permits signed by the darkiesf owner, or the plantation overseer* Charlie is very feeble and unable to work* The Griffin Relief Association ftrrr*±she^Mitt~ i&s- ~ouetonftnc%» Charlie King----------435 E. Taylor Street, Griffin, Georgia September 16, 1936 100221 21 PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY EX-SLAVE NICEY KINNEY R.F.D. # 3 Athens, Ga. Written by: Miss &race MoOune Athens - Edited by: Mrs. Sarah H. Hall Athens - and John N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers* Proj Res. 6 & 7 Augusta, Ga. Sept. 28, 1938. 22 NICET KIMS! Ex-Slave - Age 86, A narrow path under large water oaks led through a well-kept yard where a profusion of summer flowers surrounded Nicey Kinneyfs two-story frame house. The porch floor and a large portion of the roof had rotted down, and even the old stone chimney at one end of the structure seemed to sag. The middle-aged mulatto woman who answered the door shook her head when asked if she was Nicey Kinney. "No, mam,* she protested, nbut datfs my mother and shefs sick in bed. She gits mighty lonesome lyin1 dar in de bed and she sho does love to talk. Us WDUld be mighty proud if you would come in and see her." Nicey was propped up in bed and, although the heat of the September day was oppressive, the sick woman wore a black shoulder cape o^er her thick flannel nightgown; heavy quilts and blankets were piled close about her thin form, and the window at the side of her bed was tightly closed. Not a lock of her hair escaped the nightcap that enveloped her head. The daughter removed an empty food tray and announced, "Mammy, dis ladyfs come to see you and I fspects you is gwine to lak her fine fcause she wants to hear 'bout dem old days dat you loves so good to tell about*" Nicey smiled. "Ifse so glad you come to see me," she said, "fcause I gits so -2- lonesome; jusf got to stay here in dis bed, day in and day out. I'se done wore out wid all de hard wuk Ifse had to do, and now Ifse a aged foman, done played out and sufferinf wid de high blood pressure But I kin talk and I does love to bring back dem good old days a-fore de war." Newspapers had been pasted on the walls of Niceyfs room. In one corner an enclosed staircase was cut off from the room by a door at the head of the third step; the space underneath the stair was in use as a closet. The marble topped bureau, two double beds, a couple of small tables, and some old chairs were all of a period prior to the current cen- tury. A pot of peas was perched on a pair of "firedogs" over the coals of a wood fire in the open fireplace. On a bed of red coals a thick iron pan held a large pone of cornbread, and the tantalizing aroma of coffee drew attention to a steam- ing coffeepot on a trivet in one corner of the hearth. Niceyfs daughter turned the bread over and said, "Missy, I jus1 bet you ainft never seed nobody cookin1 dis way. Us is got a stove back in de kitchen, but our somepin tfeat seems to taste better fixed dis fway; it brings back dem old days when us was chillun and all of us was at home wid mammy• " Nicey grinned. "Missy," she said, "Annie - datfs dis gal of mine here - laughs at de way I laks dem old ways of livin1 , but O 1 -3- shefs jus' as bad fbout 'em as I is, fspecially fbout dat sort of cookin'; somepin t'eat cooked in dat old black pot is sho good* "Marse Gerald Sharp and his wife, Miss ^nnie, owned us and, Child, dey was grand folks. Deir old home was fway up in Jackson County 'twixt Athens and Jefferson* Dat big old plantation run plumb back down to de Oconee River. Yes, mam, all dem rich river bottoms was Marse Gerald's. "Mammy's name was Ca'line and she b'longed to Marse Gerald, but Marse Hatton David owned my daddy - his .name was Phineas. De David place warn't but fbout a mile from our plantation and daddy was 'lowed to stay wid his fambly most evvy night; he was allus wid us on Sundays. Marse Gerald didn't have no slaves but my mammy and her chillun, and he was sho mighty good to us* "Marse Gerald had a nice^ four-room house wid a hall all de way through it. It even had two big old fire- places on one chimbly. No, mam, it warn't a rock chimbly; dat chimbly was made out of home-made bricks. Marster's fambly had deir cookin1 done in a open fireplace lak evvy- body else for a long time and den jus' ffore de big war he bought a stove. Yes, mam, Marse Gerald bought a cook stove and us felt plumb rich 'cause dere warn't many folks dat had stoves back in dem days* -4- "Mammy lived in de old kitchen close by de big house ftil dere got to be too many of us; den Marse Gerald built us a house jus1 a little piece off from de big house. It was jus* a log house, but Marster had all dem cracks chinked tight wid red mud, and he even had one of dem franklin-back chimblies built to keep our little cabin nice and warm. Why, Child, ain't you never seed none of dem old chimblies? Deir backs sloped out in de middle to throw out de heat into de room and keep too much of it from gwine straight up de flue* Our beds in our cabin was corded jusf lak dem up at de big house, but us slept on straw ticks and, let me tell you, dey sho slept good atter a hard daysfs wuk* ftDe bestest water dat ever was come from a spring right nigh our cabin and us had long-handled gourds to drink it out of. Some of dem gourds hung by de spring all de time and dere was allus one or two of fem hangin* by de side of our old cedar waterbucket. Shof, us had a cedar bucket and it had brass hoops on it; dat was some job to keep dem hoops scrubbed wid sand to make fem bright and shiny, and dey had to be clean and pretty all de time or mammy would git right in behind us wid a switch. Marse Gerald raised all dem long- handled gourds dat us used fstid of de tin dippers folks has now, but dem warnft de onliest kinds of gourds he growed on his place. Dere was gourds mosf as big as waterbuckets, and dey had short handles dat was bent whilst de gourds was 26 -5- green, so us could hang fem on a limb of a tree in de shade to keep water cool for us when us was wukin* in de field durinf hot weather* "I never done much field wuk ftil de war come on, fcause Mistess was larnin1 me to be a housemaid* Marse Gerald and Miss Annie never had no chillun 'cause she warnft no bearin1 foman, but dey was both mighty fond of little folks* On Sunday mornin's mammy used to fix us all up nice and clean and take us up to de big house for Marse Gerald to play wid. Dey was good Christian folks and tuk de mostest pains to larn us chillun how to live right. Marster used to flow as how he had done paid $500 for Gafline but he sho~ wouldn't sell her for no price* "Lwything us needed was raised on dat plantation fcept cotton* Nary a stalk of cotton was growed dar, but jus1 de same our clothes was made out of cloth dat Mistess and my mammy wove, out of thread us chillunjspun, and Mistess tuk a heap of pains makin* up our dresses. Durinf de war evvybody had to wear homespun, but dere didnft nobody have no better or prettier dresses dan ours, fcause Mistess knowed morefn anybody fbout dyein* cloth. When time come to make up a batch of clothes Mistess would say, fCafline holp me git ) up my things for dyeinf,f and us would fetch dogwood bark, sumach, poison ivy, and sweetgum bark. That poison ivy made the best black of anything us ever tried, and Mistess could 27 ~6- dye the prettiest sort of purple wid sweetgum bark. Copfras was used to keep de colors from fadin1, and she knowed so v/ell how to handle it dat you could wash cloth what she had dyed all day long and it wouldn't fade a speck. "Marster was too old to go to de war, so he had to stay home and he sho seed dat us done our wuk raisin,1 somepin t*eat. He had us plant all our cleared ground, and I sho has done some hard wuk down in dem old bottom lands, plowinf, hoeinf, pullinf corn and fodder, and Ifse even cut cordwood and split rails. Dem was hard times and evvybody had to wuk» ^Sometimes Marse Gerald would be away a week at a time when he went to court at Jefferson, and de very last thing he said ffore he driv off allus was, i!Cafline, you and de chillun take good care of Mistess.f ' He most allus fetched us new shoes T/\£ien he come back, fcause he never kept no shoe- maker man on our place, and all our shoes was store-bought.) Dey was jusf brogans wid brass toes, but us felt powerful dressed up when us got fem on, rspecially when dey was new and de brass was bright and shiny. Dere was nine of us chillun, four boys and five gals. Us gals had plain cotton dresses made wid long sleeves and us wore big sunbonnets. What would gals say now if dey had to wear dem sort of clothes and do wuk lak what us done? Little boys didn't wear nothinf o 8 -7- but. long shirts in summertime, but come winter ewybody had good warm clothes made out of wool off of Marse Gerald's own sheep, and boys, even little tiny boys, had britches in winter. "Did you ever see folks shear sheep, Child? Well, it was a sight in dem days. Marster would tie a sheep on de scaffold, what he had done built for dat job, and den he would have me set on de sheep's head whilst he cut off de wool. He sont it to de factory to have it carded into bats and us chillun spun de thread at home and mammy and Mistess wove it into cloth for our winter clothes. Nobody warn*t fixed up better on church days dan Msrster*s Niggers and he was sho proud of dat. "Us went to church wid our white folks 'cause dere warn*t no colored churches dem days. None of de churches 'round our part of de country had meetin* ewy Sunday, so us went to three diffunt meetin' houses. On de fust Sunday us went to Captain Crick Baptist church, to Sandy Crick Presby- terian church on second Sundays, and on third Sundays meetin* was at Antioch Methodist church whar Marster and Mistess was members. Dey put me under de watchkeer of deir church when I was a mighty little gal, 'cause my white folks sho b*lieved in de church and in livin* for God; de larnin* dat dem two ; 29 -8- good old folks gimme is done stayed right wid me all through, life, so far, and I aims to live by it to de end. I didn*t sho rnough jine up -wid no church 'til I was done growed up and had left Marse Gerald; den I jined de Gedar Grove Baptist church and was baptized dar, and dar*s whar I b*longs yit. "Marster was too old to wuk when dey sot us free, so for a long time us jus* stayed dar and run his place for him. I never seed none of dem Yankee sojers but one time. Marster was off in Jefferson and while I was down at de washplace I seed *bout IE men come ridin* over de hill. I was sho skeered and when I run and told Mistess she made us all come inside her house and lock all de doors. Bern Yankee mens jus* rode on through our yard down to de river and stayed dar a little while; den dey turned around and rid back through our yard and on down de big road, and us never seed ?em no more, "Soon atter dey was sot free Niggers started up J churches of dey own and it was some sight to see and hear *em on meetin* days. Dey would go in big crowds and sometimes dey would go to meetin's a fur piece off. Dey was all fixed up in deir Sunday clothes and dey walked barfoots wid deir shoes acrost deir shoulders to keep •em from gittin* dirty. Jus* *fore dey got to de church dey stopped and put on deir shoes and den dey was ready to git together to hear de preacher. 30 -9- "TPolks don't know nothinf fbout hard times nowt Specially young folks; dey is on de gravy train and donft know it, but dey is headed straight for fstruction and perdition; dey's gwine to land in dat burninf fire if dey don't mind what dey's about. Jusf trust in de Lord, Honey, and cast your troubles on Him and He'll stay wid you, but if you turns your back on Him, den you is lost, plumb gone, jus* as sho as shelled corn* *When us left Marse Gerald and moved nigh. Athens he got a old Nigger named Egypt, what had a big fambly, to live on his place and do all de wuk. Old Marster didnft last long atter us was gone. One night he had done let his farm hands have a big cornshuckinf and had seed dat dey had plenty of supper and liquor to go wid it and, as was de custom dem days, some of dem Niggers got Old Marster up on deir shoulders and toted him up to de big house, singin* as dey went along. He was jusf as gay as dey was, and joked de boys* When dey put him down on de big house porch he told Old Mist ess he didn't want no supper fcept a little coffee and bread, and he strangled on de fust bite. Mistess sent for de doctor but he was too nigh gone, and it warn't long ffore he had done gone into de glory of de next world* He was fbout 95 years old when he died and he had sho been 31 -10- a good man. One of my nieces and her husband went dar atter Marse Gerald died and tuk keer of Mistesa ftil she went home to glory too. "Mammy followed Old Mist ess to glory in fbout 3 years* Us was livinf on de Johnson place den, and it warnft long *fore me and George Xinney got married. A white preacher married us, but us didn't have no weddin1 celebration. Us moved to de Joe Langford place in Oconee County, but didn't stay dar but one year; den us moved ferost de crick into Clarke bounty and atter us farmed dar 9 years, us moved on to dis here place whar us has been ever since. Plain old farminf is de most us is ever done, but George used to make some mighty nice cheers to sell to de white folks. He made fem out of hick'ry what he seasoned jus1 right and put rye split bottoms in *em. Dem cheers lasted a lifetime; when dey got dirty you jusf washed fem good and sot *em in de sun to dry and dey was good as new. George made and sold a lot of rugs and mats dat he made out of plaited shucks. Most evvybody kepf a shuck footmat ffore deir front doors. Dem sunhats made out of shucks and bulrushes was mighty fine to wear in de field when de sun was hot. Not long atter all ten of our chillun was horned, George died out and left me wid dem five boys and five gals. *V3 0,w -li- ssome old witch-man conjured me into marryin* Jordan Jackson. Datfs de blessed truth, Honey; a fortune- teller is done told me how it was done. I didn*t want to have nothinr to do wid Jordan * cause I knowed he was jus* a no fcount old drinkin* man dat jus* wanted my land and stuff. Vtfien he couldnft git me to pay him no heed hisself, he went to a old conjure man and got him to put a spell on me. Honey, didn't you know dey could do dat back in dem days? I knows dey could, fcause I never woulda run round wid no Nigger and married him if I hadnft been witched by dat conjure business. De good Lord sho punishes folks for deir sins on dis earth and dat old man what put dat spell on me died and went down to burnin* hell, and it warnft long den ffore de spell left me* "Right den I showed dat no ?count Jordan Jackson dat I was a good foman, a powerful sight above him, and dat he warnft gwine to git none of dis land what my chillunfs daddy had done left fem. When I juaf stood right up to him and showed him he warnft gwine to out whack me, he up and left me and I donft even use his name no more fcause I donft want it in my business no way a Vail. Jordanfs done paid his debt now since he died and went down in dat big old burnin1 hell flong wid de old witch man dat conjured me for him* 33 -12- *Yes, Honey, de Lord done put it on record dat dere is sho a buminf place for torment, and didnft my Marster and Mistess larn me dfc same thing? I sho does thank fem to dis day for de pains dey tuk wid de little Nigger gal dat growed up to he me, tryin* to show her de right road to travel. Oh! If I could jusf see *em one and more time, but dey can look down from de glory land/see dat Ifse still tryin* to follow de road dat leads to whar dey is, and when I gits to dat good and better world I jus* knows de Good Lord will let dis aged foman be wid her dear Marster and Mistess all through de time to come* "Trust God, Honey, and He will lead you home to glory* Ifse sho enjoyed talkin1 to you, and I thanks you for eominf. Ifse gwine to ax Him to take good keer of you and let you come back to cheer up old Nicey again." 34 100134 PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLATE JULIA LAEKEN 693 Meigs Street Athens, Georgia Written by: Miss Grace McCune Athens - Edited by: Mrs. Sarah H. Hall Athens - and John N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers* Project Residencies 6 & 7 Augusta, Georgia. KX)I34 JULIA LARKEN Bg-Slave - Age 76. Julia's small three-room cottage is a servant house at the rear of a white family's residence. A gate through an old-fashioned picket fence led into a spacious yard where dense shade from tall pecan trees was particularly in- viting after a long walk in the sweltering heat. An aged mulatto woman was seated on the narrow porch. Her straight white hair was arranged in braids, and her faded print dress and enormous checked apron were clean and care- fully patched. A pair of dark colored tennis shoes completed her costume. She arose, tall and erect, to greet her visitor. Tessum, dis here's Julia Larken," she said with a friendly smile. "Gome right in, Chile, and set here and rest on my nice cool porch. I knows you's tired plumb out. You shouldn't be out walkin' 'round in dis hot sun - It ain't good for you. It'll make you have brain fever 'fore you knows it," When asked for the story of her life, Julia re- plied: "Lordy, Chile, did you do all dis walkin', hot as it is today, jus' to hear dis old Nigger talk? Well, jus' let me tell you, dem days back yonder 'fore de war was de happiest time of my whole life. "I don't know much 'bout slavery, 'cause I was jus* a little gal when de war ended. I was borned in war times on Marse Payton Sails' plantation, way off down in Lincoln County. 35 s* My Ma was borned and bred right dar on dat same place* Marster bought my Daddy and his Mammy from Captain LeMars, and dey tuk de name of Sails atter dey come to live on his place. Mammy1 s name was Betsy Sails and ^addy was named Samfl» Dey was married soon atter Marster fetched Daddy dar. "Dere ain't no tellinf how big Marsterfs old plantation was. His house set right on top of a high hill. His plantation road circled fround dat hill two or three times gittin1 from de big road to de top of de hill. Dere was a great deep well in de yard whar dey got de water for de big house. Marsterys room was upstairs and had steps on de outside dat come down into de yard. On one side of his house was a fine apple orchard, so big dat it went all de way down de hill to de big road. "On de other side of de house was a large gyarden whar us raised evvything in de way of good vegftables; dere was beans, corn, peas, turnips, collards, ftaters, and onions. Why dey had a big patch of nothinf but onions. Us did love onions. Dere was allus plenty of good meat in Marsterfs big old smoke- house dat stood close by de well. Marster, he believed in raisin1 heaps of meat. He had cows, hogs, goats, and sheep, not j to mention his chickens and turkeys. "All de cloth for slaves1 clothes was made at home. Mammy was one of de cooks up at de big house, and she mad^j^jsAJi too. Daddy was de shoe man. He made de shoes for all de folks on de plantation. 36 3. a? "Be log cabins what de slaves lived in was off a piece from de big house. Dem cabins had rock chimblies, put together wi& red mud* Dere warnft no glass in de windows and doors of dem cabins - jusf plain old home-made wooden shutters and doors." Julia laughed as she told of their beds* *Us called fem four posters, and dat's what dey was, but dey was jusf plain old pine posties what one of de men on de plan- tation made up. Two posties at de head and two at de foot wid pine rails betwixt fem was de way dey made dem beds. Dere warnft no stof-bought steel springs dem days, not even for de white folks, but dem old cord springs went a long ways towards makinf de beds comfortable and dey holped to hold de bed together. De four poster beds de white folks slept on was corded too. but deir posties warnft made out of pine. Dey used oak and walnut and sometimes_real mahogany, and dey carved fem up pretty. Some of dem big old posties to de white folkses beds was six inches thick. "Slaves all et up at de big house in dat long old kitchen. I kin jus1 see dat kitchen now. It warn't built on to de big house, fcept it was at de end of a big porch dat went from it to de big house* * A great big fireplace was fmost all de way fcross one end of dat kitchen, and it had racks and cranes for de pots and pans and ovens but, jusf let me tell you, our Marster had a cookstove too. Yessum, it was a real shof fnough iron cookstove* Nofm, it warnft fzactly lak de stoves us *• 38 uses now. It was jusf a long, low stove, widout much laigs, jusf flat on top wid eyes to cook on. De oven was at de bottom. Mammy and Grandma Mary was mighty proud of dat stove , * cause dere warn't nobody else fround dar what had a eookstove, so us was jus* plumb rich folks* ^Slaves didn't come to de house for dinner when dey was wukinf a fur piece off in de fields• It was sont to fem, and dat was what kilt one of my brothers. Whilst it was hot, de cooks would set de bucket of dinner on his haid and tell him to run to de field wid it fore it got cold. He died wid brain fever, and de doctor said it was from totin1 all dem hot victuals I on his haid. Pore Brudder John, he shof died out, and ever since den I been skeered of git tinf too hot on top of de hait. *Dere was twelve of Mammy's chillun in all, eountin* Little Peter who died out when he was a baby. De other boys was John, Tramer, Sam'l, George, and Seott. De only one of my brothers left now is George, leastwise I reckon hefs livinf yet. De last •count I had of him he was in Chicago, and he must be fbout a hundred years old now. De gals was me and Mary, fMerica, Hannah, Betsy, and Enma» *fFore Grandma Mary got too old to do all de cookinr, Mammy wuked in de field. Mammy said she allus woke up early, and she could hear Marster when he started gittin* up. She would hurry and git out ffore he had time to call fem. Some- times she cotch her hoss and rid to the field ahead of de others, 'cause Marster never laked for nobody to be late in de mornin1* One time he got atter one of his young slaves ^ i out in de field and told him he was a good mind to have him / whupped. Dat night de young Nigger was tellinf a old slave ?bout it, and de old man Jusf laughed and said: fWhen Marster^) (pesters me dat way I jus1 rise up and cuss him out.* Dat young fellow fcided he would try it out and de next time Marster got atcer him dey had a rukus what I ainft never gwine to forgit. Us was all out in de yard at de big house, skeered to git a good breath when us heared Marster tell him. to do somepin, fcause us knowed what he was meanin* to do* He didnft go right ahead and mind Marster lak he had allus been used to doinf» Marster called to him again, and den dat fool Nigger cut loose and he evermore did cuss j^arater out. Lordy, Chile, Marster jusf fairly tuk de hide off dat Nigger*s back* When he tried to talk to dat old slave 'bout it de old man laughed and said: fShucks, I allus waits ftil I gits to de field to cuss Marster so_ke wonft hear "Marster didnft have but two boys and one of fem got kilt in de war* Dat shofly did hurt our good old iiarster, but dat was de onliest diffunce de war made on our place. When it wes over and dey said us was free, all de slaves stayed right on wid de Marster; dat was all dey knowed to do. Marster told rem/ dey could stay on jus1 as long as dey wanted to, and dey was right dar on dat hill 'til Marster had done died out and gone to Glory. *• 40 *TJs chillun thought hog killinf time was de best time of all de year* Us would hang * round de pots whar dey was rendin* up de lard and all day us et dem good old browned skin cracklin's and ash roasted ftaters. Marster allus kilt from 50 to 50 hogs at a time. It tuk dat much meat to feed all de folks dat had to eat from his kitchen. Little chillun never had nothin1 much to do fcept eat and sleep and plsy, but now, jus* let me tell you for shor, dere W8rnft no runnin* fround nights lak dey does now* Not long ffore sundown dey give evvy slave chile a wooden bowl of buttermilk and cornpone and a wooden spoon to eat it wid. Us knowed us had to finish eatin1 in time to be in bed by de time it got dark* H0ur homespun dresses had plain waisties wid long skirts gathered on to fem. In hot weather chillun wore Jusr one piece; dat was a plain slip, but in cold weather us had plenty of good warm clothes* Dey wQ^^^cotton^^ wool_tp- get her to make warm cloth for our winter clothes and made shoes for us to wear in winter too. Marster evermore did believe in takinr good keer of his Niggers. *I kin ricollect dat ffore dere was any churches right in our neighborhood, slaves would walk 8 and 10 miles to church. Dey would git up fway ffore dawn on meetin* day, so as / *• 41 to git dar on time. Us wouldn»t wear our shoes on dem long walks, but Jus* went barfoots rtil us got nearly to de meetin» house. I jus* kin 'member dat, for chillun warn»t 'lowed to try to walk dat fur a piece, but ua could git up early in de mornin* and see de grown folks start off. Dey was dressed in deir best Sunday go-to-meetin* clothes and deir shoes, all 4- shined up, was tied together and hung over deir shoulders to keep feni from gittin* dust on fem. Hem folks had on plain homespun shirts and jeans pants» De jeans what deir pants was made out of was homespun too. Some of de fomans wore homespun dresses, but most of fem had a calico dress what was saved special for Sunday meetin1 wear, fOnians wore two or three petticoats all ruffled and starched ftil one of dem under- skirts would stand by itself. Dey went barfoots wid deir shoes hung over deir shoulders, jusf lak de mens, and evvy foman pinned up her dress and ewy one of her petticoats but one to keep rem from gittinf muddy. Dresses and underskirts was made long enough to touch de ground dem days. Dey allus went off singin*, and us chillun would be wishinf for de time when us would be old enough to wear long dresses wid starched petti- coats and go to meetin*. Us chillun tried our best to stay fwake *til dey got home so us could hear fem talk fbout de preachin* and singinf and testifyinf for de Lord, and us allus axed how many had done jined de church dat day. U^^j '?Long ffore I was old enough to make dat trip on foot, dey "built a Baptist church nearby* It was de white folkses church, but dey let deir own Niggers join dar too, and how us chillun did love to play fround it. No'm, us never broke out no windows or hurt nothin* playin' dar* Us warnft never flowed to throw no rocks Titfien us was on de church grounds* De church was up on top of a high hill and at de bottom of dat hill was de creek whar de white folks had a fine pool for baptizin*. Dey had wooden steps to go down into it and a long wooden trough leadinf from de creek to fill up de pool whenever dere was baptizin1 to be done* Dey had real sermons in dat church and folks come from miles around to see dem baptizinfs. White folks was baptized fust ana den de Niggers. When de time come for to baptize dem Niggers you could hear fem singin* and shoutin1 a long* ways off. "It jusf don't seem lak folks has de same sort of fligion now dey had dem days, 'specially when somebody dies. Den de neighbors all went to de house whar de corpse was and sung and prayed wid de fambly. De coffins had to be made atter folks w?fr done flead- Dey measured de corpse and made de coffin fcordinfly. Most of fem was made out of plain pine wood, lined wid black calico, and sometimes dey painted fem black on de outside. Dey didn't have no 'balmers on de plan- tations so dey couldn't keep dead folks out long; dey had to 9. 43 bury 'am de very next day atter dey died. Dey put de corpse in one wagon and de fambly rode in another, but all de other folks walked to de graveyard. When dey put de coffin in de grave dey didn't have no separate box to place it in, but dey did lay planks 'cross de top of it ffore de dirt was put in. De preacher said a prayer and de folks sung - Harps from de Tomb. Maybe several months later dey would have de funeral preached some Sunday. *Us had all sorts of big doin's at harvest time. Dere was cornshuekin's, logrollin's, syrup makincs, and cotton pickin's. Dey tuk time about from one big plantation to another. Evvy place whar dey was a-goinf to celebrate tuk time off to cook up a lot of tasty eatments, 'specially to barbecue plenty of good meat. De Marsters at dem diffunt places allus seed dat dere was plenty of liquor passed 'round and when de wuk was done and de Niggers et all dey wanted, dey danced and played 'most all night. What us chillun laked most 'bout it was de eatin'* What I 'member best of all is de good old corn risin' lightbread. Did you ever see any of it, Chile? Why, my Mammy and Grandma Mary could bake dat bread so good it would jus' melt in your mouth. "Mammy died whilst I was still little and Daddy married again. I guess his second wife had a time wid all of us chillun. She tried to be good to us, but I was skeered of 10.-44 her for a long time atter she come to our cabin. She larnt me how to make my dresses, and de fust one I made all by my- self was a long sight too big for me* I tried it on and was plumb sick 'bout it beinf so big, den she said; fEFever mind, youfll grow to it.* Let me tell you, I got dat dress off in a hurry fcause I was fmost skeered to death for fear dat if I Y^w*^, kept it on it would grow to my skin lak I thought she meant. I never put dat dress on no more for a long time and dat was atter I found out dat she jus1 meant dat my dress would fit me atter I had growed a little more. "All us chillun used to pick cotton for Marster, and he bought all our clothes and shoes. One day he told me and Mary dat us could go to de store and git us a pair of shoes apiece. 'Course us knowed what kind of shoes he meant for us to git, but Mary wanted a fine pair of Sunday shoes 8nd datfs what she picked out and tuk home. Me, I got brass-toed brogans lak Marster meant for us to git. fBout half way home Mary put on her shoes and walked to de big house in fem. When Marster seed fem he was shof mad,ji,J*Jkoroet, but it was too late to take fem back to de store atter de shoes had done been wore and was all scratched up. Marster fussed: fBlast your hide, Ifm a good mind to thrash you to death.1 Mary stood dar shakin* and tremblinf , but dat's all Marster ever said to her fbout it. Us beared him tell Mistfess dat dat gal Mary was a right smart Nigger. 11. 45 "Marster had a great big old bull dat was mighty mean. He had real long horns, and he could lift de fence railin's down one by one and turn all de cows out* Evvy time he got out he would fight us ehillun, so Marster had to keep him fastened up in de stable* One day when us ^ wanted to play in de stable, us turned Old Camel (dat was de ! bull) out in de pasture* He tuk down rails enough wid his / horns to let de cows in Marster's fine gyarden and dey et it all up. Marster was wuss dan mad dat time, but us hid in de barn under some hay ftil he went to bed* Next morninf he called us all up to git our whuppin*, but us cried and said us wouldn't never do it no more so our good old Marster let us off dat time* wLak I done said before, I stayed on dar ftil Marster died, den I married Matthew Hartsfield. Lordy, Chile, us didnft have no weddin1. I had on a new calico dress and Matthew wore some new blue jeans breeches* De *teverend Hargrove, de white folks preacher, married us and nobody didn't know nothin1 fbout it ftil it was all over* Us went to Oglethorpe County and lived dar 19 years ffore Matthew died. I wuked wid white folks dar ftil I married up wid Ben Larken and us come on here to Athens to live. I have done some wuk for 'most all de white folks f round here. Ben's grand pappy was a miller on Potts Creek, nigh Stephens, and sometimes -^en used to have to go help him out wid de wuk, atter he got old and feeble. IS. *Deyfs all gone now and fcept for some nieces, Ifm left all alone. I kin at ill mind de chillun and even do a little wuk. For dat I do give thanks to de Good Lord - dat he keeps me able to do some wuk. "Goodbye Chile," said Julia, when her visitor arose to leave. "You must be more keerful fbout walkin* fround when de sun is too hot. It'll make you sick shof. Folks Jus* donft know how to take de right sort of keer of dey- selves dese days.* 46 On 100048 Ge.qe.le^ '' ' Mr. Gearga Lewia waa »ara la Feaaacala.llerida Deoaiaker 17.1849. In additien ^ ro himself and hia parents, Saphie and Charlea Lewia, toere were thirteen ether children, ,„o of whom were girla. Mr.. Lewia (Gee.) waa the third eldeat child. Althauih carried Br. I*vda» parenta Holcm^o ta different ewnera. Hawser, -, Broaenhan* aftau allowed his servant to visit his wife on tha plantation af her .:i?rt Ilrs Caroline Br;£ht. In regard to war* all af the «r*ftera af too Lewis clan fared very well. The :vtharf *ha Wnga* ta Dr. Bresenhan, waa a skilled shipbuilder and he waa permitted ¦z hire hif«lf rut ta those wading hie services. Ho waa also allawad ta hire^theae -JLldraa flanging to h^ whe v;ere old -naugh ta war*. He waa anly retired ta pay is ».t« and tho niatrM. of his children a certain percent af hie aarninga. On the ;:,U-ht plantation lira. Lewis served aa aaid and aa part ef her dutla. she had to help ¦ith the ceasing. Mr. Lewia and hia .rethera and siatera were never quired t. da v,ry *uch war*. Meat af their time was apant in playing araund in the yard af the aig 3US9* In answer t. a quaiy concerning th. ™* re^uireaenta af the ather alavea an , Vis particular plantation Mr. L,v,is r*pliad^Da am wauld never totob. dam at da hauae. ;-- da\taa it was up day had dene gat ta de fial- —not -a swine. I've imewn aen to Ive te wait 'ill it «a. bright enough ta see how ta plow without "kivering" the .iaato up 1L7 If • aa early in de aernlngs dat hreafcfua* had ta >. aent t. den in 9 fial'. De clillun waa de enea who carried de aoals dare. Dia w*a de first >. lat I had. All de paila wua put an a laag .tie* an' .•..Dady held t. each end af da .tie*. If de fiaT hands was too far away tm de heuae at dinner ti*e it ma aent ta ? co sane as de Tarea&fus1'V All »t ta. .1.TM .n the plantation ™w atoned .ach ».miag »y a twgl, :r a Mm v*i°fc ~ *!.«» * tt. .v»rs.or. a. sa»« 8Tara..r cave tk. Bxsual fw Sa. had t. d. aay „«* a«.r IMx th. tUV. -I- « «-»»«» *• »• J"— 48 „cifc. © work ether than the earing ftr the steck was required en Sandaya. A few years feefere the Civil War Mrs. Bright saarried a Drf Bennett Ferrel aril -jvod te liia home in Gefrgiaifreupe Ceunty)t Mr. Lewis statea that he and his fellew slaves always had "pretty fairwfoa. 3efcro they Moved te Georgia the rations were issued daily and fer the meat part an issue cent is ted ©f vegetables, rice, feeans, aeat(perk)t all kinds ©f fisk and grita,ete. "We get geed clethes tee says Mr. Lewis. All ef 'em was beught. All de ehillun xiorti a long shirt until dey was tee feig an* den doy was given pants an* dresses. De sheea us :iada out ef red leather an* was called feregans. After we meved te Georgia ear new nor-tor bought de cloth an* had all do clothes aad© en de plantation. De feed was "pretty :':'•-" hore tee. Wo got cern bread an* biscuit semetiaes^—vur- of the plantation located in Pensacola as well as the eno in G@@r£ia<). An were '¦'¦-¦'¦¦¦ cf logs and,according t® Mr. Lewis, all were/ substantially built. 3fe«den pega were - 1 in the place of nails and the cracks left in the walls were sealed with Bad and ' ¦~i'jr*. Those cabins were very ceafertafele and ©nly one family was allewed to a cabin. *f* -loers v/ero of weed. The ©nly furnishings wore the feeds and one ef twe Benches er -•;£ which served as chairs. In soae respects theso feeds res eeabled a scaffold nailed te -' t.i-o of a house. Others were aade ef heavy weed and had fear legs te stand upon. Ftr 49 t&s "---at part, kewever, ea© end ef the bed waa sailed tt the walls She- mattrwsee Wy0 ^•io :ut ef any fcimd ef material tkat a slave eeuld secure, burlap sa*ltBfaaa®a¥ergf&t©# Iif:ur - lagge bag had been made witk tkis material It was staffed with straw* Heavy 7i — ning fr« side te side was used far the l#|§fiii|§ bed springs, a© ead ef tke ::rc ..;:3 *ied te a liandl© at tho end ef tke b^d. die permitted tks? eceupaat to ti^itea tke -:•: ;.;>n it became leesened. A few coeldLns: utensils eenpieted the furnishings.. Hi ill-wr- ... tl*:: v/:,s sescmred by 'means ef the deer sad tke epen fire place. ill #f the slaves en tie plantatiea were permitted te"frelie* whemever they wasted |Ac 2:1c far as l«aj a time as they wanted te. TkB master gave tham all ef tke whiskey +*** r : 3 sired. Cfae ef tie main timee fer a frelie waa during a cera shucking. At each frelie t; r /as dancing, fiddling, and eatimg. Eke aext merniag,hewever all had te be prepared te rsport as usual te tke fields. All were required te attend ehmrefc each Saaday. Tke same eiurek waa ueed by tke risv^ o ners and tkeir slaves* One ewners attended clatrck ia tke morning at eleven eUleak the slaves attended at tkree ef eleeic. A whits minister did all ef tke preaehlag* *§« Isi^es1 sermaa ke pretaked*, says Ife* Lewia, «hwui te read de Bible aa* den tell ma te -c art an1 net te steal #H§ chickens, eggs, an* butter, fam max masters.* All baptising r.3 oy tkis elfsaae minister. liken a eeupl© wished te marry tke mam secured tke permission ef his intended *': cv>ier and if ke consented/ a breem waa plaeed em tke fleer and tke eeuple juiiped ever r.r.i vr*ere then preneunced man and wife. !2here was net a ~r@at deal ef whining en tke plaatatien ef fir. Ferrel but at lic-E all whippings were administered by eae ef tke everseers sagleyed en tke plantation -^ -3-I2 himself was only wkipped enea and th©n by tke Decter .Shis was juet a few days : ^r the slaves were freed. Mr. lewis says tia&t tke decter cam© te tke field ene meraing ^ c:.llod kim^HI He teld him that tkey were geiag te be freed but tkat "before ke did free as £©ing te let kirn aee what it was lifce te be whipped by a white maaf and ke l-12 -wDd te paddle him witk a white eaJc paddle. then there was aeriema Illness tke slaves had tke attention ef tf * Ferrel. 0*. -V^^PIFr'jjrT'TTr'*^^ othar eceaaiens the tld rsaiedy ef eastfr til and tarpeatia© was admiaiataraav «%tr0 was vary little sickness thea aectrding tt Me. lewis* met every fawily fcfgp* a large pot if "Bitters"(a saixtare ef whis&ey and tree earfcs) and oaoh *traing every ¦eKiar afthe rosily tsok a drink £r©» this Traeket. 2his supposedly prevented illness. laen the war ¥r©fce eat lfr» lewis says that he tfton heprd the eld felica whisper- ing aaeng thesis ©Ivas at night. Several timoe he saw the lUrthsrn trtaps as well a« i£:e - :;ithem troops Taut ha das'at toiew whether they were £:eing er oaalpg frem the seeae of ., fightia^jLDtotar Perrel joined the away "feat en three different eecasieaa he deae»t4. -ofere gsinf: te war Dr. Ferrel ©ailed Mr. lewis ts him and after giving hin his f«r#rite | :iorse save him© the fellewing "charge"* •lltaa't let the laakees get hia". Brery atraias : j. Lewis would take the herse te/ the weeds whoro he hid with him all day. Oa several j occasions Br# Jerrel slipped ¥ack to Me hene tt see if the herse was fceing prtperly \ c;--rc?d for# lill ef the ether valuables flensing te the Ferrelawere M&den stlse* All ef the slaves en the plantation were slad when they were teld that tbey v/<>re free fcut there was ne fcig deimtnstratien as they were seatfiJaat Mr^ x-ater might d'e* Seme ef them regained en the plantatim while ethers ef then left u coon as they were teld that thqy were free* Several month* after £r^eda» was declared Mr# Lewis1 father was able t# wMoh ;'oin)j Mm family #§|iE#he had net seen since they had meved. te &efrgia# Ifcen asked Ms epiniem §f slavery end ef freedem Mr, lewis tf§id that ho -aid rather Tae free heoamse ti a certain degree he is able te de as he pl@asesf •& the ii-w hand he did net have te werry short if til illliitf^d m& shelter as a Hav# as Iio loas te de new at times? A # mTERVim WITH: MIRRIAK McCOMMONS 164 Augusta Avenue Athens, Georgia* Written by: Miss Grace McCune Research Worker Athens, Georgia. Edited "by: Mrs. Sarah H. Hall Editor - Athens John N. Booth District Supervisor Augusta, Georgia* I0013Q 5 MIRRIAM Mb COMMONS Ex-Slave - Age ?6 It was a bright sunny day when the interviewer stopped at the home of Aunt Merry, as she is called, and found her tending her old-fashioned flower garden* The old Negress was tired and while resting she talked of days long passed and of how things have changed since she was wa little gal.tt flMy pa wuz ?/illiam Young, and he "belonged to old Marse Wylie Young and later to young Marse Mack Young, a son of old marster• Pa wuz born in l841, and he died in 19l8. MMa wuz Lula Lumpkin, and she belonged to Marse Jack lumpkin. I forgits de year, but she wuz jus1 38 years old when she died* Mafs young mistis wuz Miss Mirriam Lumpkin, and she wuz sho1 good ter my ma* I 'members, f cause I seed her lots of times* She married Marse William Nichols, and she ain11 been dead many years* "I wuz born at Steebens (Stephens), Georgia, in 1862 at seben f clock in de mornin* on de 27th day of April* Yassum, i got here in time for breakfast. Bey named me Mirriam Young* When I wuz fbout eight years old, us moved on de Bowling Green road dat runs to Lexington, Georgia* Us stayed dar f til I wuz fbout 10 years old, 3 den us moved to de old Hutchins place* I wukked in de field wid my I Pa f til I v/uz *bout f leben years old. Den ma put me out to wuk. I wukked for 25 dollars a year and my schoolin*. Ben I nussed for \ - ' J llarse George Rice in Hutchins, Georgia. I think Marse George and his twin sister stays in Lexin1 ton now. When I wuz twelve, I went to wuk for Marse John I. Callaway. Ma hired me for de same pay, 25 dollars a year and my schoolin1 . _2. 53 wHissus Callaway sho* wuz good to me* She larnt me my books - readinr and writin1 - and sewinr, knittin1 , and crochetin*• I still got some of de wuk dat she larnt me to do." At this, point Aunt Merry proudly displayed a number of articles that she had crocheted and knitted. All were fashioned after old patterns and showed fine workmanship* "Mist is larnt me to be neat and clean in ewything I done, and I would walk *long de road a-knittin* and nebber miss a stitch. I just bet none of dese young folkses now days could do dat. Dey shof don1t do no wuk, just run fround all de time, day and night. I don11 know what111 f come of fem, lessen dey change deir ways* "Whilst I wuz still nussin1 Missis1 little gal and baby boy dey went down to Buffalo Crick to stay, and dey give me a pretty gray mare. She wuz all mine and her name wuz Lucy. MI tuk de chillun to ride ewy day and down at de crick, I pulled off dey clofes and baptized fem,in de water. I would wade ^ out in de crick wid fem, and say: fI baptizes you in de name of de j ladder and de Son and de Holy Ghost.1 Den I would souse f em under de water* I didn11 know nobody wuz seein* me, but one mornin1 Missis ajced me !bout it and I thought she nought be mad but she just laughed and said dat hit mought be good for !em, fcause she fspect dey needed baptizing but to be keerful, for just on t1 other side of de rock wuz a hole dat didn1t have no bottom. ttDere wuz just two things on de place dat I wuz ffraid of, and one wuz de big registered bull dat Marster had paid so much money for. He sho1 wuz bad, and when he got out, us all stayed in de house 'til dey cotched fim. Marster had a big black stallion dat cost lots of money* He wuz bad too, but Marster kept fim shut up most of de -3- 54 time* De wust I ever wuz skeert wuz de time I wuz takin' de "baby to ride horseback. When one of de Uigger boys on de place started off on Marster1 s horse, my mare started runnin' and I couldn't stop" ' er. She runned plumb away wid me, and when de boy cotched us, I wuz holdin1 de baby wid one hand and de saddle wid t1 other* "I sho! did have a big time once when us went to Atlanta. De place whar us stayed wuz 'bout four miles out, whar Kirkwood is now, and it belonged to Mrs. Robert A. Austin. She wuz a widder f oman. She had a gal name' Mary and us chillun used to play to- gether. It wuz a pretty place wid great big yards, and de mostes' flowers. Us used to go into Atlanta on de six 'clock r cominodation, and come hoirje on de two 'clock 'cominodation, but evvythings changed now. "At de Callaway place us colored folks had big suppers x and all day dinners, wid plenty to eat - chicken, turkey, and 'possum, and all de hogs us wanted. But dere warnt no dancin' or fightin', 'cause old Missis shoT didn't 'low dat. l,I married when I wuz sebenteen. I didn't have no weddin'• I v/uz just married by de preacher to Albert McCommons, at Hutchins. Us stayed at Steebens 'bout one year after us married and den come to Athens, whar I stays now. I ain't never had but two chillun; dey v/uz twins, one died, but my boy is wid me now. 111 used to nuss Miss Galline Javis, and she done got married and left here, but I still hears from 'er. She done married one of dem northern mens, Mr. Hope. I 'members one time whilst dey wuz visitin' I stayed wid 'em to nuss deir baby. One of Mr. Hope's friends from New York wuz wid 'em. When dey got to de train to go -14- 5o home, Miss Calline kissed r;e good-bye and de yankee didn11 know v/hat to say* Miss Calline say de yankees f low dat southern folks air mean to us Niggers and just beat us all de time. Dey just don't knov/ 'cause my v/hite folkses wuz all good to we, and I loves 'em all.11 As the interviewer left, Aunt Merry followed her into the yard asking for a return visit and promising to tell isore, n'"bout my good v/hite folkses.11 56 / y ¦•.....- PLANTATION LIFE As viewed by ED McCREE 543 Reese Street Athens, Georgia. Written by: Sadie B. Hornsby (SuX-,^ Athens Edited by: Sarah H. Hall Athens Leila Harris Augusta and John N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writersf Project Residencies 6 & 7« 57 ED McCREE Ex-Slave - Age 76. Id McCree's home was pointed out by a little albino Negro girl about 10 years old. The small front yard was gay with snapdragons, tiger lilies, dahlias, and other colorful flowers, and the two-story frame house, painted gray with white trimmings seemed to be in far better repair than the average Negro residence. Chewing on a cud of tobacco, Ed answered the knock on his front door. HGood eveninf Lady,* he said. "Have a cheer on de porch whar itfs cool.* Ed is about five feet, six inches in height, and on this afternoon he was wearing a blue striped shirt, black vest, gray pants and black shoes. His gray hair wa& topped by a soiled gray hat. Nett, his wife, came hobbling out on the porch and sat down to listen to the conversation. At first the old man. was reluctant to talk of his childhood experiences, but his interest was aroused by questioning and soon he began to eagerly volunteer his memories. He had just had his noon meal and now and then would doze a little, but was easily aroused when questions called him back to the subject. "T was horned in Oconee County," he said, "jus1 be- low Watkinsville. My Ma and Pa was Louisa and Henry McCree, but Old Marster called Pa fShermf for short. Far as I ever heared, my Ma and Pa was horned and brung up right dar in Oconee County. Dere 58 was six of us chillun: Silas, Lumpkin, Bennie, Lucy, Babe, and me. Babe, she was borned a long time atter de war. "little Niggers, what was too young to wuk in de fields, toted water to de field hands and waited on de old fomans what was too old to wuk in de craps. Dem old romans looked atter de babies and piddled fround de yards. *Slave quarters was lots of log cabins wid chimlies of criss-crossed sticks and mud. Pore white folks lived in houses lak dat too. Our bed was made wid high posties and had cords, what run evvy which a-way, for springs. 'Course dey had to be wound tight to keep dem beds from fallin* down when you tried to git in fem. For mattresses, de fomans put wheat straw in ticks made out \ of coarse cloth wove right dar on de plantation, and de pillows was made de same way. Ole Miss, she let her special favorite Niggers, what wuked up at de big house, have feather mattresses and pillows. Dem other Niggers shined dey eyes over dat, but dere warn't nothin1 dey could do fbout it fcept slip fround and cut dem feather beds and pillows open jus1 to see de feathers fly. Kivver was flowanced out evvy year to de ones what needed it most. In dat way dere was allus good kivver for evvybody. "Grandma Liza b'longed to Marse Calvin Johnson long 'fore Marse John McCree buyed her. She was cook at de big house. Grandpa Charlie, he bflonged to Marse Charlie nardin, but atter him and Grandma married, she still went by de name of McCree* »• 59 *I*awdy Miss! Who ever heared of folks payin1 slaves to wuk? Leastwise, I never knowed 'bout none of fem on our place gittinf money for what dey done. fCourse dey give us plenty of somepin1 tfeat and clothes to wear, and den dey made us keep a-humpin* it. I does fmember seein1 dem paper nickels, dimes, and quarters what us chillun played wid atter de war. Us used to pretend us was rich wid all dat old money what warnft no / good den. *fBout dem eatments, Miss, it was lak dis, dere warn't no fancy victuals lak us thinks us got to have now, but what dere was, dere was plenty of. Most times dere was poke sallet, tur- nip greens, old blue head collards, cabbages, peas, and ftaters by de wholesale for de slaves to eat and, onct a week, dey rationed us out wheat bread, syrup, brown sugar, and ginger cakes.") What dey give chillun de most of was potlicker poured over cornbread crumbs in a long trough. For fresh meat, outside of killin1 a shoat, a lamb, or a kid now and den, slaves was flowed to go huntin1 a right smart and dey fotch in a good many turkles (turtles), 'possums, rabbits, and fish. Folks didn't know what iron cookstoves was dem days. Leastwise, our white folks didn't have none of 'em. All our cookin1 was done in open fireplaces in big old pots and pans. Dey had thick iron skillets wid heavy lids on f em, and dey could bake and fry too in dem skillets iT\ De meats, cornbread, biscuits, and cakes what was cooked in dem old skillets was sho' mighty good* 4. 60 "De cotton, flax, and wool what our clothes was made out of was growed, spun, wove, and sewed right dar on our plantation. Marse John had a regJJ-arjseamst^er what didn't do nothin* else but sew* Summertime us chillun wore shirts what looked lak nightgowns* You jus1 pulled one of dem slips over your haid and went on !cause you was done dressed for de whole week, day and night. Wintertime our clothes was a heap better. Dey give us thick jeans pants, heavy shirts, and brogan shoes wid brass toes. Summertime us all went bar1foots. n01d Marster John McCree was shof a good white man, I jus1 tells you de truf, fcause I ainft in for tellinf nothin* else. I done jusf plum forgot Ole Missf fust name, and I canft git up de ehilluns* names no way. I didnft play fround wid fem much nohow. Dey was jusf little young chillun den anyhow. Dey lived in a big old plank house - nothmf fine fbout it. I fmembers de heavy timbers was mortised together and de other lumber was put on wid pegs; dere warn't no nails 'bout it. Datfs all I ricollects fbout dat dere house right now. It was jusf a common house, Ifd say. nDere was a thousand or more acres in dat old planta- tion. It shof was a big piece of land, and it was plumb full of Iliggers - I couldn't say how many, 'cause I done forgot. You could hear^dat - bugle de overseer blowed to wake up de slaves for miles and miles. He got fem up long 'fore sunup and wuked fem in de fields long as dey could see how to wuk. Donft talk fbout dat overseer 5. 61 whuppin* Niggers* He beat on 'em for most anything. What would old dey need no jail for wid dat/overseer a-cominf down on fem wid dat rawhide bull-whup? *If dey got any larninf, it was at night* Dere warnft no school'ouse or no church on dat plantation for Niggers. Slaves had to git a pass when dey wanted to go to church. Some- times de white preacher preached to de Niggers, but most of de time a Nigger wid a good wit done de preaching Dat Nigger, he shof couldnft read nary a word out. of de 3ible. At de baptizinfs was when de Nigger boys shined up to de gals. Dey dammed up de crick to make de water deep enough to duck 'em under good and, durinf de service, dey sung: Itys de Good Old Time Religion. ^Wien folks died den, Niggers for miles 8nd miles around went to de funeral. Now days dey got to know you mighty well if dey bothers to go a tfall. Dem days folks was buried in home- made coffins. Some of dem coffins was painted and lined wid cloth and some warn't. De onliest song I ricollects fem singinf at buryinfs was: Am I Born to Lay Pis Body Down? Dey didnft dig graves lak dey does now. Dey Jusf dug straight down to fbout five feet, den dey cut a vault to fit de coffin in de side of de grave. Dey didnft put no boards or nothinf over de coffins to keep de dirt off# nfBout dem patterollersJ Well, you knowed if dey cctched you out widout no pass, dey was gwine to beat your back most 6. 62 off and send you on home* One night my Pa flowed he would go to see his gal* All right, he went. When he got back, his cabin door was fastened hard and fast* He was a-climbinf in de window when de patterollers got to him. Dey flowed: 'Nigger, is you got a pass?f Pa said: fNo Sir.f Den dey said: fUs canft beat you fcause you done got home on your marsterfs place, but us is shof gwine to tell your Marster to whup your hide off* But Old Marster, never tetched hira for dat, "Atter dey come in from de fields, dem Niggers et deir supper, went to deir cabins, sot down and rested a little while, and den dey drapped down on de beds to sleep* Dey didnft wuk none Saflfiay atter dinner in de fields. Dat was wash day for slave fomans. De mens done fust one thing and den another. Dey cleant up de yards, chopped wood, mended de harness, sharpened plow points, and things lak dat. Sadday nights, Old Marster give de young folks passes so dey could go from one place to another a-dancinf and a-frolickinf and havinf a big time genfally. Dey done most anything dey wanted to on Sundays, so long as dey behaved deyselfs and had deir passes handy to show if de patterollers bothered fem. ^Yessum, slaves.shof looked forward to Christmas times. Dere was such extra good eatin's dat week and so much of fem. Old Marster had fem kill a plenty of shoats, lambs, kids, cows, and turkeys for fresh meat* De fomans up at de big house was busy for a week ahead cookin1 peach puffs, ftater custards, and plenty of 7. 68 cakes sweetened wid brown sugar and syrup* Dere was plenty of home-made candy for de chilluns* Santa Claus and late apples and peaches had done been saved and banked in wheat straw to keep fem good ftil Christmas. Watermelons was packed away in cottonseed ) and when dey cut fem open on Christmas Dey, dey et lak fresh melons in July. Us had a high old time for a week, and den on New Yearfs Day dey started back to wuk. "Come winter, de mens had big cornshuckin's and dere was quiltinfs for de fomans. Dere was a row of corn to be shucked as long as from here to Milledge avenue. Old Marster put a gang of Niggers at each end of de row and it was a hot race ftween dem gangs to see which could git to de middle fust. Dere was allus a big feast waitinr for fem when de last ear of corn was shucked, fBout dem quiltin's!' Now Lady, what would a old Nigger man know fbout somepinf dat didn't nothin1 but fomans have nothinf to do wid? ftDem cotton pickinfs was grand times. Dey picked cotton in de moonlight and den had a big feast of barbecued beef, mutton, and pork washed down wid plenty of good whiskey. Atter^de feast was over, some of dem Niggers played fiddles and picked banjoes for de others to dance down ftil dey was wore put* "When slaves got sick, our white folks was mighty good fbout havin* fem keered for. Dey dosed fem up wid oil and turpentine and give fem teas made out of hoarhound for some misfries and bone-set for other troubles. Most all the slaves wore a sack of assfiddy Q. 64 (asafetida) fround deir necks all de time to keep 'em from gittin' sick, *It was a happy day for us slaves when news come dat de war was over and de white folks had to turn us 'loose* Marster called his Niggers to come up to de big house yard, but I never stayed 'round to see what he had to say? I runned fround dat place e-shoutin' to de top of my voice. My-folks stayed on wid Old Marster for 'bout a year or more. If us had left, it would have been jusf lak swappinf places from de fryin' pan to de fire, 'cause Niggers didn't have no money to buy no land wid for a long time atter de war* Schools vas soon scattered 'bout by dem Yankees what had done sot us free. I warn't big enough den to do nothin' much 'cept tote water to de field and chop a little cotton. *Me and Nettie freeman married a long time atter de war* At our weddin' I wore a pair of brown jeans pants, white shirt, white vest, and a cutaway coat. Nettie wore a black silk dress what she had done bought from Miss Blanche Rutherford. Pears lak to me it had a overskirt of blue what was scalloped •round de bottom-* At this point, Nettie, who had been an interested listener, was delighted. She broke into the conversation with: "Ed, you sho' did take in dat dress and you ain't forgot it yit#* '?You is right fbout dat, Honey,* he smilingly re- plied, "I sho' ain't and I never will forgit how you looked dat day** 9. 65 *Miss Blanche give me a pair of white silk gloves to wear wid dat dress," mused Nettie* "Us didnft have no shof fnough weddinf,M continued Ed* "Us jusf went off to de preacher manfs house and got married up together* I shof is glad my Nets is still a-livinf, even if I* she/down wid de rheumatiz." *Ifm glad Ifm livinf too,ft Nettie said with a chuckle* Ed ignored the question as to the number of their children and Nettie made no attempt to take further part in the conversation* There is a deep seated idea prevalent among old people of this type that if the "giverfment folkstf learn that they have able- bodied children, their pensions and relief allowances will be dis- continued. Soon Ed was willing to talk again. nYessum,n he said. "I shof had ruther be free. I don't never want to be a slave no more. Now if me and i*ett wants to, us can set around and not fix and eat but one meal all day long. If us donft want to do dat, us can do jusf wiir tsomever us pleases. Den, us had to wuk whether us laked it or not* nLordy Miss, I ainft never jined up wid no church. I ain't got no reason why, only I jusf ainft never had no urge from inside of me to "' ^ 66 EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW: LUCY Mj^CDLLOUGH /1 >c Age 79. BT: SARAH H. HALL ATHENS, 01. LUCT MCCULLOUGH Ex-slave, Age 79 ? "Does Ah 'member 'bout war time, en dem days fo» de war? Yassum, Ah sho' does. Ah blong ter Marse Ned Carter in Walton county," "Whut Ah 'members mos' is d^iF-onliest beat in' Ah ebber got fum de overseer on Marse Ned's place, De hawgs wuz dyin' moughty bad wid cholry, en Marse Ned hed 'is mens drag ewy dead hawg off in de woods 'en bun *em up ter keep de cholry fum spreadin' mongst de udder hawgs. De mens wuz keerless 'bout de fire, en fo' long de woods wuz on fire, en de way dat fire spread in dem dry grape vines in de woods mek it 'peer lak jedgment day t&r^us chilluns. Us run 'bout de woods lookin* at de mens fight de fire, en ewy time we see «rncw place -«* blaze we run dis way en dat way, twel fus* thing us knows, we is plum off Marse Ned's plantation, en us doan rightly know whar us is. Us play 'roun» in de woods en arter while Marse Ned's overseer cum fine us, en he druv us back t«r. de big house yahd en give evvy one uv us -er good beaten'. Ah sho' wuz black en blue, en Ah nebber did fi*git en run of fen Marse Ned's Ian' no mo* lessen I^hed e*- pass." "Mah mammy, she wuz cook at d«r- big house, en Ah wuz raised daj^in de kitchen en de back yaftd at de big house. Ah wuz ter be ^r maid fer de ladies in de big house. De house servants hold that dey is 4#step better den de field niggers. House ser- vants wuz nigged quality folks." r Ah mus' not J» been mo' en thee -er-fo' year's ole when Miss Millie cum out in de kitchen one day, en 'gin t«F scold my mammy 'bout de sorry way mammy done clean de chitlin/s. Ah ain* Page 2 68 nebber heard nobuddy fuss et my mammy befo*. Little ez in wuz, Ah swell up en rar* back, en I ses t«FMiss Millie. *Doan you no* Mammy is boss erdis nyar kitehen. You cyan* cum er* fussin* in hyar.** Kiss Millie, she jus laff, but Mammy grab js*- switch en •gin ticklin* my laigs, but Miss Millie mek ber quit it." "Who wuz Miss Millie? Why, she waz Marae Ned's wife." "Whilst Marse Ned wuz *way at de war, bad aojer mens cum thoo de country. Miss Millie done nyar tell dey wuz on de way, en she bad de mens haul all Marse Ned's cotton off In de woods en hide it* De waggina wuz piled up high wid cotton, en de groun* wuz soft atter de rain. De waggina leff deep ruts in de groun*, but none us folks on de plantation pay no heed ter dem ruts* When de sojer mens cum, dey see dem ruts en trail *em right out dar in de woods ter de cotton* Ben dey sot fire ter de cotton en bun it all up. Dey cum back ter de big house en take all de sweet milk in de dairy house, en help *emselfs ter ewy thing in de smoke houses* Den dey pick out de stronges* er Marse Ned*s slave mens en take *em ?way wid »em. Dey take ev*y eooA. horse Marse Ned had on de planta- tion. 3b Me*em, dey diden* bun nuffin ceppen* de cotton.* "Us wuz mo* skeered er patter-rollers den any thing else. Fatter-rollers diden* Dodder folks much, lessen dey caught *em offen dar marsters plantations en dey diden* hab no pass* One night en durin* de war, de patter-rollers cum ter our cabin, en I scrooge down under de kiver in de bed. De patter-roller man tho* de kiver offen mah face, en he see /» blong dar, en he let me be, but Ah wuz skeered plumb ter death. Courtin* folks got ketehed en beat up by de patter- rollers mo4 den enny buddy else, kazen dey wuz allus slippen' out fer ter meet one er nudder at night.* Page 3 (59 "When folks dat lived, on diffunt plantations, en blonged ter diffunt marsters wanted ter, git married, dey bed dar ter ax both/marsters fusf. Den effen dar marsters »gree on it, dey let ?em marry. De mans marster *ud give de man er pass so he eud go see his wife et night, but he sho* better be back on his own marsters farm when de bell ring ewy morning. De chilluns ?ud blong ter de marster dat own de ?oman.* *Black folks wuz heap smarter den dey is now. Dem days de *omans knowed how ter cyard, en spin, en weave de doff, en dey made de close. De mens know how ter mek shoes ter wear den. Black folks diden* hev ter go cole er hongry den, kaze dey marsters made ?em wuk en grow good crops, en den der maraters fed *em plenty en tuk keer uv ?em. * "Black folks wuz better folks den dey is now. Dey knowed dey hed ter be good er dey got beat. De gals dey diden*t shot dare laigs lak dey do now. Cloff hed ter be made den, en hit wuz er heap mo* trouble ter mek er yahd er cloff, den it is ter buy it now, but ?omans en gals, dey stayed kiwersd up better den. Why, Ah ?member one time my mammy seed me cummin? crost de yahd en she say mah dress too short. She tuk it of fen me, en rip out de hem, en ravel at de aig* er little, en den fus* thing I knows, she got dat dress tail on ter de loom, en weave more cloff on hit, twel it long enuf, lak she want it." "Long ?bout dat time dey wuz killint hawgs on de planta- tion, en it wuz er moughty cole day. Miss Millie, she tell me fer ter tote dis quart er brandy out dar fer ter warm up de mena dat wuz er wukkin in de cole winf. ?Long de way, Ah keep er sippin* dat brandy, en time Ah got ter de hawg killint place Ah wuz crazy drunk Bags 4 70 en tryin* ter sing. Dat tine *tWGa*t no overseer beat me* Bern slave mens beat me den fo» drinkin* dat likker." "Mah folks stayed on en wufcked fo' Harse Ned long at ter de war. When Ah wuz bios* grown mah fam*ly moved ter LogansviHe. No, Ma*am, I ain't nebber been so free en happy es when I diden* hev ter worry *bout whar de vitfcles en close gwine cum fua, en all Ah had ter do wuz wuk ewy day lak mah whitefolks tole me.1* 100053 "1 fX AMAKDA MCMHIXL ft -""v*-*^ lx-slave Among these few remaining persons who have lived long enough te tell of some of their experiences during the reign of "King'Slavery" in the Uhited States is one Mrs. Amanda IfcDaniel* As she sat on the porch in the glare of the warm October sun she pre- sented a perfect picture of the old ffegro Mammy commonly seen during the days of slavery. She smiled as she expectorated a large amount of the snuff she was chewing and began her story in the following manner: "I was horn in Watsonville, Georgia in 1850. My mother's name was Vatilda Hale and my father was Gilbert Ihitlew* My mother and father ***** belonged to different master's, but the plantations that they lived on were near each other and so my father was allowed to visit us often* My mother had two other girls who were my half- sisters. You see— qy mother was sold to the speculator in Tirginia and brought to Georgia where she was sold to Mr. Hale, who was our master until freedom was declared* When she was sold to the speculator the two girls who were my half-sisters had to be sold with her because they were too young to be separated from their mother* My father, Gilbert Ihitlew, was my mother9 8 second husband* Mr* Hale, our master, was not rich like some of the other planters in the community. His plantation was a small one and he only had eight servants who were all women. He wattt? t able to hire an overseer and all of the heavy work such as the plowing was done by his sons. Mrs* Hale did all of her own cooking and that of the slaves too* In all Mr. Hale had eleven children. I had to nurse three of them before I was old enough te go to the field to work.* — When asked to tell about the kind of work the slaves had to do Mrs* Mc- Daniel said: *0ur folks had to get np at four o'clock every morning *nd feed -2- 72' the stock first. By gfae time it was light enough to see they had to he in the fields where th^jr hoed the cotton and the corn as well as the ether crops* Between ten and eleven o1 clock everybody left the field and went to the house where they worked until it was too dark to see* My first job was to take breakfast to those working in the fields* I used buckets for this* Besides this I had to drive the cows to and from the pasture, The rest of the day was spent in taking care of Mrs. Halefs young children. After a few years of this I was sent to the fields where I planted peas, corn, etc. I also had to pick cotton when that time came, but I never had to hoe and do the heavy work like my mother and sisters did.11 According to Mrs* McDaniel they were seldom required to work at night after they had left the fields but when such occasions did arise they were usually in the form of spinning thread and weaving cloth. During the winter months this was the only type of work that they did. On days when the weather was too bad for work out of doors they shelled the corn and peas and did other minor types of work not requiring too much exposure* Nobody had to work on Saturday afternoons or on Sundays. It was on Saturdays or at night that the slaves had the chance to do their own work such as the repairing of clothing, etc. On the Hale plantation clothing was Issued two times each year, once at the beginning of summer and again at the beginning of the winter season. On this first issue all were given striped dresses made of cotton material. These dresses were for wear during the week while dresses made of white muslin were given for Sunday wear* The dye which was necessary in order to color those clothes worn during the week w^e made by boiling red dirt or the bark of trees in water. Sometimes the indigo berry was also used* Thd winter issue consisted of dresses made of woolen material. The socks and stockings were all knitted* All of this wearing apparel was made by Mrs. Hale* The shoes that these w^sen slaves wore were made in the nearby town at a place known as the tan yafds. - s - These shoes were called "Srogans* and they were very crude in construction having been made of very stiff leather* Hone of the clothing that was worn on this plantation was bought as everything necessary for the manufacture of clothing was available on the premises* As has been previously stated, Mrs* Hale did all of the cooking on the plantation with the possible exception of Sundays when the slaves cooked for themselves. Daring the week their diet usually consisted of corn bread, fat meat, vegetables, milk, and potliquor* She &*& that they ate en Snnday wi|S practically the same* All the food that they ate was produced in the master1 s garden and there was a sufficient amount for everyone at all times* There were two one-room)^ log cabins in the rear of the master1 s house. These cabins were dedicated to slave use* Mrs* McDaniel says: "The floors were made of heavy wooden planks. At one end of the cabin was the chimney which was made out of dried mud, sticks, and dirt* Ob the side of the cabin opposite the door there was a window where we got a little air and a little light* Oar beds were made out of the same kind of wood that the floors were and we called than "Bed-Stilts." Slats were used for springs while the mat- tresses were made of large bags stuffed with straw* At night we used tallow candles for light and sometimes fat pine that we called light-wood. As Mrs. Hale did all of our cooking we had very few pots and pans* In the Winter months we used to take mud and close the cracks left in the wall where the logs did not fit close together.* According to Mrs. McDaniel all the serious illnesses were handled by a doctor who «as called in at such times. At other times Mr. tr Mrs. Hale gave them either castor oil or salts* Sometimes they were given a type of oil called "lobelia oil." At the beginning of the spring season they drank va- rious teas made out of the roots that they gathered in the surrounding woods* 73 - 4 - 74 The only one that Mrs. lIcDgniel remembers is that which was made from sassa- fras roots* wThis was good to clean the system,* says Mrs* McDaniel. When- ever they were sick they did not have to report to the master fs house each day as was the case on some of the other plantations* There were never any pretended illnesses to avoid work as far as Mrs* McDaniel knows* On Sunday all of the slaves on the Hkle plantation were permitted to dress in their Sunday clothes and go to the white church in town* During the morning services they sat in the back of the church where they listened to the white pastor deliver the sermoh* In the afternoon they listened to a sermon that was preached by a colored minister* Mrs* McDaniel has*11 the slightest idea of what these sermons were about* She remembers how marriages were performed, however, although the only one that she ever witnessed took place on one of the neighboring plantations* if ter a broom was placed on the ground a white minister read the scriptures and then the couple in the process of being mar- ried jumped over this broom* They were then considered as man and wife* Whippings were very uncommon the the Hale plantation* Sometimes Mr* Hale had to resort to this form of punishment for disobedience on the part of some of the servants* Mrs* McDaniel says that she hm++mm whipped many times but only once with the cowhide* Nearly every time that she was whipped a switch was used* She has seen her mother as well as some of the others punished but they were never beaten unmercifully* Neither she or any of the other slaves on the Hale plantation ever came in contact with the "Paddie- Rollers," whoa they knew as a group of white men who went around whipping slaves who were caught away from their respective homes without passes from their masters* When asked about the buying and the selling of slaves Mrs* Mc- Daniel said that she had never witnessed an auction at which slaves were being sold and that the only thing she knew about this was what she had been told . 5 - 75 by her mother who had been separated from her husband and sold in Georgia. Mr* Hale never had the occasion to sell any of those slaves that he held* Mrs. McDaniel remembers nothing of the talk that transpired between the slaves or her owners at the beginning of the war. She says: nI was a little girl, and like the other children then, I did&tft have as much sense as the children of today who are of the age that I was then. I do remember that my master moved somewhere near Macon, Georgia after General Wheeler marched through. I believe that he did more damage than the Tanks did then they came through. When my master moved us along with his family we had to go out of the way a great deal because General Wheeler had destroyed all of the bridges. Besides this he damaged a great deal of the property that he passed.H Continuing, Mrs. McDaniel said: HI didn'.t see any of the fighting but I did hear the firing of the cannons. I also saw any number of Confederate soldiers pass by our place.11 Mr. Hale did&H join the army although his oldest son did. At the time that the slaves were freed it meant nothing in particular to Mrs. McDaniel, who says that she was too young to pay much attention to what was happening. She never saw her father after they moved away from Wat- sonville. At any rate she and her mother remained in the service of Mr. Hale for a number of years after the war* In the cot*rse of this time Mr. Hale grew to be a wealthy man. He continued to be good to those servants who remained with him. After she was a grown woman Mrs. McDaniel left Mr. Hale as she was then married. Mrs. McDaniel says that she has reached such an old age because she has always taken care of herself, which is more than the young people of today are doing, she added as an after thought* -s Diet. 7, J i.»\,'.a ciO "TOM licGroder" /* ¦' Ex-Slave District 7. Ex* Slave #74, 70 By Elizabeth Watson, Hawklnsvllle, Georgia* Tom McGruder, one of the oldest living ex-slaves in Pulaski County, was sitting on the porch of his son9s home when we went in to see hiau His grizzled old head began to nod a "Good morning" and his brown face be- came wreathed in smiles when he saw us* He looked very small as he sat in a low straight chair by the door*, His shirt and overalls were ragged but spotlessly clean* On his feet were heavy shoes that were kept free from dirt* His complexion was not black as some of the other members of his race but was a light brown* There were very few wrinkles in his face considering the fact that he was one hundred and two years old in June* He spoke in a quiet voice though somewhat falteringly as he suffers greatly fraa ast:oaa# "Were you born in this county, Uncle Tom?" we asked* "No mam, Missus," he replied* "lie and my mother and sister wuz brought from Virginia to this state by the speculators and sold here* I was only about eighteen or twenty and I was sold for #1250* My mother was given to one of Old Marsterfs married chillmu "You see, Missus," he spoke again after a long pausec "He wuz put on the block just like cattle and sold to one man today and another tomorrow* I wuz sold three times after coming to this state*" Tom could tell us very little about his life on the large plantations be- cause his feeble old mind would only be clear at intervals* He would begin relating some incident but would suddenly break off with, "Ifd better leave that alone fcause I done forgot*" He remembered, however, that he trained Page .2* 77 dogs for his "whie folks," trained them to be good hunters as that was one of the favorite sports of the day. The last man to whom Tom was sold was Mr* Jim McGruder, of Emanuel County. He was living In a small cabin belonging to Mr# McGruder, when he married* "I •members", said Tom, "That Old Marster and Missus fixed up a lunch and they and their chlllun brought it to my cabin. Then they said, fNigger, jimp the broom9 and we wuz married, * cause you see we dldn9t know nothing •bout no cerfmony#* It was with Mr. McGfcuder that Tom entered the army, working for him as his valet. "I wuz in the army for fbout four years, "Tom said* "I fought in the battles at Petersburg, Virginia and Chattanooga, Tennessee. I looked after Old Mar- ster fs shoes and clothes. Old Marster, what he done he done well. He was kind to me and I guess better to me sometimes than I deserved but I had to do what he told me*11 "Do you remember any of the old songs you used to sing?99 we asked. "Missus, I canft sing no mof ,"he replied. But pausing for a few minutes he raised his head and sang in a quiet voice, the words and melody perfectly clear; "Bhy dc you wait, dear brother, Oh, why do you tarry so long? Your Saviour is waiting to give you A place in His sanctified throng." •3 / •iV'vJ-*? PLANTATION LIES as viewed by ex-slave SUSKS IfcINTOSH 1203 W. Hancock Avenue Athens, Georgia. « Written by: Sadie B. Hornsby Federal Writers1 Project Athens, Ga. Edited by: Sarah H. Hall - Athens. • John N. 3ooth - Augusta. Leila Harris - Augusta 1 April 28, 1938 i. 00087 79 PIANTATIOB LIES SUSA2T McINTOSK fix-Slave - Age 8? A driving rain sent the interviewer scurrying into the house of Susan Mclntosh who lives with her son, Dr. Andrew Jones, at the corner of Hancock Avenue and Billups Street. Susan readily gave her story: "They tell me 1 was born in November 1851I11 she said, "and I know I!ve "been here a long time ! cause Ifve seen so many come and go. I've outlived 'most all of ray folks ! cept my son that I live with now. Honey, I've 'most forgot about slavery days. I don't read, and anyway there ain't no neec| to think of them times now. I v/as born in Oconee County on Judge William Stroud1 s plantation. V/e called him Marse Billy* That was a long time before Athens was the county seat. Ma's name was Mary Jen, and Pa was Christopher Harris. They called him Chris for short. Marster Young 1. G. Harris bought him from Marster Hudson of Elbert County and turned him over to his niece, Miss £ujg Harris, when she married Marster Robert Taylor. Marse Robert was a son of General Taylor what lived in the Grady house before it belonged to Mr. Henry Grady' s mother. Pa was coachman and house boy for Miss Lula« "Marse Billy owned Ma, and Marse itobert owned Pa, and Pa, he come to see Ma about once or twice a month. The Taylor's,they done a heap of travellin1 and always took my Pa with 'em. Ohl there v/as thirteen of us chillun, seven died soon after they was born, and none of f em lived to git grown 'cept me. Their names was Nanette and 311a, what was next to m; Susan - thats me; Isabelle, Martha, Mary, Diana, Lila, William, Gus, and the twins what was born dead} and Harden. He was named for a Dr. Harden what lived here then. 2. 80 rtMarse Billy bought my gran*ma in Virginia. She was part Injun. I can see her long, straight, black hair now, and when she died she didn1 t have gray hair like mine. They say Injuns don1 t • turn gray like other folks. Gran1ma made cloth for the white folks / and slaves on the plantation. I used to hand her thread while she v/as weavin1. The lady what taught Gran1 ma to weave cloth, was Mist1 ess Sov/el, and she v/as a foreigner, f cause she warn1 t born in Georgia. She had two sons what run the factory between Y/atkinsville and Athens. / )^f aunt, Mila Jackson, made all the thread v/hat they done the weavin1 with. Gran1 pa worked for a widow lady v/hat was a sinister (seamstress) and she just had a little plantation. She v/as Mist'ess Doolittle. ,11 Granfpa done was cut wood, f tend the yard and gyarden'. ile had . rheumatism and couldn!t do much. "There ain1t much to tell about what we done in the slave quarters, !cause when we got big enough, we had to works nussin1 the babies, totin* v/ater, and helpin1 Gran1 ma with the weavin1 , and such like, -^eds was driv to the walls of the cabin; foot and head- ooard put together with rails, what run from head to foot. Planks ¦;as laid crossways and straw put on them and the beds was kivvered v.-ith the_whltest sheets you ever seen. Some Dade pallets on the floor. "Ho, JSafam, I didn1 t make no money f til after freedom. I heard tell of ten and fifteen aents, but I didn't know nothing f bout no figgers. I didn* t know a nickel from a dime them days. "Yes, Mafam, Marse Billy f lowed his slaves to have their own gyardens, and f side$ plenty of good gyarden sass, we had :;:ilk and butter, bread and meat, chickens, greens, peas, and just everything that growed on the farm. Winter and summer, all the food 81 y/as cooked in a great big fireplacef about four feet wide, and you could put on a whole stick of cord wood at a time* When they /anted plenty of hot ashes to bake with, they burnt wood fro© ash trees. Sweet potatoes and bread was baked in the ashes* Seems like vittuls don't taste as good as they used to, when we cooked like that. f Possums, Ohl I dearly love f possums. Ity cousins used to catch f em and when they was fixed up and cooked with sweet potatoes, fpossum meat was fit for a king. Marse Billy had a son named Mark, \ v;hat was a little bitty man. They said he was a dwarf. He never done nothing but play with the children on the plantation. He would take the children down to the crick what run through the plantation and fish all day. We had rabbits, but they was most generally caught in a box trap, so there warn11 no time wasted a-huntin* for 'em. « 11 In summer, the slave women wore white homespun and the sen wore pants and shirts made out of cloth what looked like overall cloth does now. In winter, we wore the same things, !cept Marse jilly give the men woolen coats what come down to their knees, and the women wore warm wraps what they called sacks. On Sunday we had iresses dyed different colors. The dyes were made from red clay and barks. Bark from pines, sweetgums, and blackjacks was boiled, and each one made a different color dye. The cloth made at home was coarse and was called *gusta cloth. Marse Billy let the slaves raise chickens, and cows, and have cotton patches too. They would sell butter, eggs, chickens, brooms, made out of wheat straw and such like. Thfty^_ton^ thA ™oney and bought calico, muslin and good shoes, ;ants, coats and other nice things for their Sunday clothes, liarse 3illy bought leather from Marster Brumby1 s tanyard and had shoes made 4. for us. They was coarse and rough, but they lasted a long time* ttMy Mar star was. father-in-law of Dr. Jones Long. Marse Billy's wife, Miss flena, died long before I was. born. Their six children was all grown when I first knowed f em. The gals was: Miss ilena, Miss Selena, Miss Liza, and Miss Susan. Miss Susan was Dr. Long1 s wife. I was named for her. ' There was two boys; Marse John and Marse Mark* I done told you * bout Marse Mark be in1 a dwarf* They lived in a big old eight room house, on a high hill in sight of Mars Hill Baptist Church. (ifarse Billy was a great deacon in that church. Yes, fiafam, he sho* was good to his Negroes. I heard 'em say that after he had done bought his slaves by working in a black- smith shop, and wearin1 cheap clothes, like mulberry suspenders, he warn1t goin1 to slash his Negroes up. The older folks admired. Mist1ess and spoke well of her. They said she had lots more property than Marse Billy. She said she wanted Marse Billy to see that her slaves was give to her children. I fspose there v/as about a hundred acres on that plantation and Marse Billy owned more property besides. There v/as about fifty grown folks and as to the children, I just don1 t know how many there was. Around the quarters looked like a little town. "Marse Billy had a overseer up,to the time War broke out, then he picked out a reliable colored man to carry out his orders. Sometimes the overseer got rough, then Marse ^illy let him go and got another one. The overseer got us up about four or five o'clock in the morning, and dark brought us in at night. 11 Jails1. Yes, Ma1 am, I ricollect one was in Watkins- vilie. No, Ma1 am, I never saw nobody auctioned off, but I heard 5. about it. Men used to come through an buy up slaves for foreign states where there warn11 so many. "Well, I didn't have no privilege to learn to read and write, but the white lady what taught my gran!ina to weave, had two sonsjvhat run the factory, and they taught my unoles to read and write. -"There warn1t no church on the plantation, so we went to Mars Hill Church. The white folks went in the mornings from nine * til twelve and the slaves went in the evenings from three ftill about five. The white folks went in the front door and slaves used the back door. -iev. Bedford Lankford, what preached to the white folks helped a Negrof named Cy Stroud, to preach to the Negroes. Oh1. Yes, Ma'am, I well remembers them baptizings. I believe in church and baptizing. "They buried the slaves on the plantation, in coffins raade out of pine boards* Didn11 put them in two boxes lak dey does now* and dey v/arn11 painted needer. "Did you say patterollers? She1 I seen fem, but they didn1t come on our plantation, fcause Marse Billy was good, to his Negroes and when they wanted a pass, if it was for a good reason, ha ^ive fem one. Didn*t none of Marse Billy1s slaves run off to no North. When Marse Billy had need to send news somewhere, he put a reliable Negro on a mule and sent him. I shof didn1t hear about no trouble twixt white folks and Negroes. 111 tell you, Honey, when the days work was over them slaves went to bed, 'cap1 when the moon was out and they worked in their ov/n cotton patches. On dark nights, the women mended and 6. quilted sometimes. Not many worked in the fields on Saturday evenin1 s. They caught up on little jobs aroun1 the lot; a mending/ harness and such like. On Saturday nights the young folks got together and had little frolics and feasts, but the older folks was gettin1 things ready for Sunday, fcause Marse ^illy was a mighty religious man: we had to go to church, and every last one of the children was dragged along too. flWe always had one week for Christmas. They brought us as much of good things to eat as we could destroy in one week, but on New Year's Day we went back to work. Ko, Ma'am, as I ricollect, we didn1 t have no corn shuckings or cotton pickings only what we had to do as part of our regular work. ttThe white folks mostly got married on Wednesday or Thursday evenin1s. Oht they had fine times, with everything good to eat, and lots of dancing too. Then they took a trip. Some went to Texas and some to Chicago. They call Chicago, the colored folks1 "lev/ York now* I don11 remember no weddings fmongst the slaves. My cousin married on another plantation, but I warn1 t there. "Where I was, there warn11 no playing done, only fmongst the little chillun, and I can11 remember much that far back. I recall that we sung a little song, about: •little drops of water Little grains of sand, Make the mighty ocean And the pleasant land.1 "Ohl Yes, Ma1 am, Marse Billy was good to his slaves, when they got sick. He called in Dr. Jones Long, Dr. Harden, and Dr. Lumpkin when they was real sick. There waa lots of typhoid fever 85 then* I don11 know nothing about no herbs, they used for diseases; - only boneset and hoarhound tea for colds and croup* TheJ put penrile (pennyroyal) in the house to keep out flies and fleas, and if there was a flea in the house he would shoo from that place right then and the re • "The old folks put little bags, of assfiddy (assafoetida) around their chillun1s necks to keep off measles and chickenpox, and they used turpentine and castor oil on ohillun!s gums to make 'em teethe easy* When I was living on Milledge Avenue, I had Dr. Crawford W. Long to see about one of my babies, and he slit that baby1 s gums so the teeth could come through. That looked might bad to me, but they don!t believe in old ways no more.* She laughed and saids "No, Maram, I don* t know nothing about such low down things as hants and ghosts1. Rawhead and Bloody Bones, I just thought he was a skelerpin, with no meat on him. Course lots of Negroes believe in ghosts and hants. Us chillun done lots of flightin* like chillun will do. I remember how little Marse Mark Stroud used to take all the little boys on the plantation and teach 'em to play Dixie on reeds what they called quills. That was good music, but the radio has done away with all that now. WI knowed I was a slave and that.it was the War that sot me free. It was fbout dinner time when Marse J3illy come to the door and called us to the house. He pulled out a paper and read it to us, and then he said: *You all are free, as I am.1 We couldn't help thinking about what a good marster he always had been, and how old, and feeble, and gray headed he looked as he kept on a-talkin' that day. 'You all can stay on here with me if you want to,1 he 8. 86 1 lowed, fbut if you dof I will have to pay you wages for your work.1 "I never saw no Yankees in Athens, "but I was in Atlanta at Mrs* Winshipfs on Peach tree Street, when General Shenaan come to that town fparin* his men for to go home. There was about two thousand in all, white and "black. They marched up and down Marietta Street from three o'clock in the evening f til seven d1 clock next morning. Then they left. I remember well that there warn1 t a house left standing in Atlanta, what warn11 riddled with shell holes. 1 was scared pretty nigh to death and I never want to leave home at no time like that again. But Pa saw ! em soon after that in Athens. They was a marching down Broad Street on their way to Macon, and Pa said it looked like a blue cloud going through. "Ma and me stayed on with Marse Billy fbout six months after the War ended before we come to town to live with Pa* We lived right back of Rock College and Ma took in washin1 for the folks what went to school there. No, Ma1 am I never saw no Ku Kluxers# Me and Lla didn11 leave home at night and the white folks wouldn11 let ¦ em git Pa. "Major Knox brought three or four teachers to teach in a school for Negroes that was started up here the first year after the War. Major Knox, he was left like a sort of Justice of Peace to get things to going smooth after the War. I went to school there about three months, then Ma took sick, and I didn't go no more. My white teacher was Miss Sarah, and she was from Chicago*.. "How and then the Negroes bought a little land, and white folks gave little places to some Negroes what had been good slaves for fem. MI didn11 take in about Mr.. Abraham Lincoln. A long 9- 8? time after the War, I heard fem say he got killed. I knowed Mr. Jeff. Davis was -^resident of the Confederacy. As for Booker Washing- ton, I never saw him, but 1 heard his son when he was here once and gave a musical of some sort at the Congregational Church. tfI was a old gal when I married 'bout thirty or } forty years after the War. I married George Mclntosfe. Wedding clothe sitt she chuckled, and said: rtI didn't have many. I bought *em second hand from Mrs. Ed. Bond. They was niee though. The dress I married in was red silk. We had a little cake and wine; no big to do, just a little fambly affair. Of our four chillun, two died young, and two lived to git grown. My daughter was a school teacher and she has been dead sometime. I stays wid my only living child. My husban1 died a long time ago. lfI cooked and washed for Mr. Prince Hodgson for thirty years# Miss Mary Franklin used to tell me fbout all them strange places she had been to while she was paintin1 • There never was no* oody in this town could paint prettier pictures than Miss Maryfs. *Vm glad slavery is over. Ifm too old to really work anymore, but Ifm like a fish going down the crick and if he sees a bug he will catch him if he can. 111 joined the church * cause 1 believe in the Son of God. I know he is a forgiving God, and will give, me a place to rest after I am gone from the earth. Everybody ought to •pare for the promised land, v/here they can live always after they are done with this world.M After the interview, she said: *Koney, this is the most I have talked about slavery days in twelve ye^rs* aiid 1 believe what I told you is right. Of course, lots has faded from my mind about it now.* v District #7 Adella 3. Dixoa, M&eom, G^^pftifi 100042 ,88 A IIAIUJlt. IteKDiKKY Matilda McKinney was born in Texas but was brought to^outhwest Georgia, near Albany, at an early age* Her mother, Amy Dean, had eight children of which Aunt Matilda is the eldest* The plantation on which they lived was owned by Mr. Milton Ball, and it varied little in size or arrangement from the average one of that time. Fere was found the usual two-story white house finished with high columns and surrounded by trees* Most of the Negro mothers did field work, so it mas necessary for others to care for the children. Mr* Ball handled this problem In the usual way. He established what would today be called a day nursery. Bach mother brought her offspring to the « home of an elderly woman before leaving for her day's work* Here, they were safely kept until their parents returned* The midday meal for everyone was prepared at the Big House and the slaves were served from huge tubs of vegetables and pots of meat. "Aunt" Julia was responsible for the children's noon meal. when "Aunt" Matilda was old enough to do a little work, she was moved into the house where she swept floors, waited on the table, and fanned flies while a meal was being served* The adult female s who lived In the house did most of the weaving and sewing* All the summer, garments were made and put away for winter use* Two - 8 - 89 dresses of osnaburg were then given each person. ; The field hands, always considered an inferior group by the house servants, worked from sun-up to stuOtown. When they returned from the fields they prepared supper for their families and many times had to feed the children in the dark, for a curfew horn was blown and no lights could be lighted after its warning note had abounded* \ There was very little visiting toy or from the group which dwelt here, as the curfew hour was early. Saturday varied a little from the other week days* The field work was suspended in the afternoon to allow the mothers time to wash their clothing. With sunset came the preparations for the weekly frolic. A fiddler furnished music while the dancers danced numer- ous square dances until a late hour. Home remedies for illness were used much more extensively than any doctor*s medicine. Teas,compounded from sage, boneset, tansy, and mullen, usually sufficed for any minor sickness, and serious illness was rare. Food was distributed on Sunday morning. Two-and-a-half pounds of meat, a quantity of syrup, and a peck of meal were given each adult for the week. A special ration for Sunday alone was potatoes, buttermilk, and material for biscuits. Bach family had its owa garden - 3 - 90 from which a supply of vegetables could always be obtained in season. The smaller children had additional delicacies, for they early learned that the house where produce was kept had holes in the floor which yielded peanuts, etc, when punched with a stick. *Aunt» Matilda was unable to give any information regarding the war, but remembers that her family remained at her former owner's plantation for some time after they were freed* She now lives with her granddaughter who takes excellent care of her. Her long life is attributed to her habit of going to bed early and otherwise caring for herself properly. McKinney, Matilda, 100 Empire Avenue, Macon, Georgia. 100217 gi PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY EX-SLAVE WILLIAM McWHORTER 383 W. Broad Street Athens, Georgia Written by: Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby Athens - Edited by: Mrs. Sarah E. Hall Athens - and John N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers' Project Residencies 6 & 7 Augusta, Ga. Sept. 20, 1938 92 WILLIAM ItoWHQRTER Ex-Slave - Age 78. The rambling, one-story frame building where William McWhorter makes his home with his cousin, Sarah Craddock, houses several families and is proudly referred to by the neighbors as "de *partment house." William, better known as wShug,w is a very black man of medium build. He wore a black slouch hat pulled well down over tangled gray hair, a dingy blue shirt, soiled gray pants, and black shoes. The smile faded from his face when he learned the nature of the visit. HI thought you was de pension lady ?comin* to fetch me some money,n he said, "and ?stid of dat you wants to know *bout slavery days. I*se dis- app*inted. *Mistess, it»s been a long time since I was born on Marse Joe McWhorter's plantation dowa in Greene bounty and I was jus* a little fellow when slavery was done over wid. Allen and Martha McWhorter was my ma and pa.J Pa, he was de carriage driver, and ma, she was a field hand. Dey brought her here from Oingebug (Orangeburg), South Carolina, and sold her to Marse Joe when she was jus* a little .gal. Me and Annie, Ella, Jim, and Tom was all de chillun in our fambly, and none of us warn*t big enough to do no wuk to speak of 'fore de end of de big war. You see, Mistess, it was lak dis; Marse Joe, he owned a old *oman what didnft do nothin* *cept stay at de 2. 93 house and look atter us chillun, and dat was one of dem planta- tions whar dere was sho a heap of slave chillun- *fBout our houses? Mistess, Ifse gwine to tell you de trufe, dem houses slaves had to live in, dey wamft much, but us didnft know no better den. Dey was jus* one-room log cabins wid stick and dirt chimblies. De beds for slaves was home-made and was held together wid cords wove evvy which away. If you didnft tighten dem cords up pretty of fen your bed was apt to fall down wid you. Suggin sacks was sewed together to make our mattress ticks and dem ticks was filled wid straw. Now, donft tell me you ainft beared of suggin sacks a-foreJ Dem was coarse sacks sort of lak de guano sacks us uses now* Dey crowded jusf as many Niggers into each cabin as could sleep in one room, and marriage never meant a thing in dem days when dey was franginf sleepin* quarters for slaves. Why, I knowed a man what had two wives livin1 in de same cabin; one of dem 'omans had all boys and tfother one didn't have nothinf but gals. Itfs nigh de same way now, but dey donft live in de same house if a manfs got two famblies. nI fmembers dat my pafs ma, Grandma Cindy, was a field hand, but by de time I was old fnough to take things in she was too old for dat sort of wuk and Marster let her do odd jobs fround de big house. De most I seed her doinf was settinf ?round smokin* her old corncob pipe. I was named for Grandpa Billy, but I never seed him. s. 94 *Mistess, does you know what youfse axinf? Wliar was slaves to git money whilst dey was still slaves? Dere warnft but a few of 'em dat knowed what money even looked lak ftil atter dey was made free. "Now, you is talkin* fbout some pin sho fnough when you starts fbout dem victuals• Bffarse Joe, he give us plenty of sich as collards, turnips and greens, peas, ftaters, meat, and eornbread. Lots of de cornbread was baked in pones on spiders, but ashcakes was a mighty go in dem days* Marster raised lots of^cang so as to have plenty of good syrup. My pa used to fpossum hunt lots and he was flowed to keep a good ?possum hound to trail feni wid. Babbits and squirrels was plentiful and dey made mighty good eatinr. Tou ain't never seed sich heaps of fish as slaves used to fetch back atter a little time spent fishin1 in de cricks and de river* "De kitchen was sot off from de big house a little piece, but Old Marster had a roof built over de wallcway so fallin* weather wouldn*t spile de victuals whilst dey was beinf toted from de kitchen in de yard to de dinin1 room in de big house. I donft reckon you ever seed as big a fireplace as de one dey cooked on in dat old kitchen. It had plenty of room for enough pots, skillets, spiders, and ovens to cook for all de folks on dat plantation* No, mam, slaves never had no gardens of deir own; dey never had no time of deir own to wuk 4. 95 no garden, but Old Marster fed fem from his garden and dat was big enough to raise plenty for all. *De one little cotton shirt dat was all ehillun wore in summertime den warnft worth talkin* fbout; dey called it a shirt but it looked more lak a long-tailed nightgown to me. For winter, our clothes was made of wool cloth and dey was nice and warm* Mistess, slaves never knowed what Sunday clothes was, *cept dey did know dey had to be clean on Sunday* No matter how dirty you went in de week-a-days, you had to put on clean clothes Sunday momin1 • Uncle John Craddock made shoes for all de grown folks on our plantation, but ehillun went barfoots and it never seemed to make fem sick; for a fact, I bflieves dey was stouter den dan dey is now* "Marse Joe McWhorter and his wife, Miss ^mily Key, omed us, and dey was jus f as good to us as dey could be. Mistess, you knows white folks had to make slaves what bflonged to rem mind and be-have deyselfs in dem days or else dere woulda been a heap of trouble. De big fine house what Marse Joe and his fambly lived in sot in a cedar grove and Woodville was de town nighest de place. Oh! Tes, mam, dey had a overseer all right, but Ifse done forgot his name, and somehow I can't git up de names of Marse Joers ehillun. Ifse been sick so long my mem'ry ain't as good as it used to be, and since I lost my old foman fbout 2 months ago, I don't fspect I ever kin reeko- member much no more. It seems lak Ifse done told you my pa was 5. Marse Joe*s carriage driver. He driv de fambly whar-some-ever dey wanted to go. WI ain't got no idee how many acres was in dat great big old plantation, but I*se tieared 'em say Marse Joe had to keep from 30 to 40 slaves, not countin' chillun, to wuk dat part of it dat was cleared land. Dey told me, atter I was old enough to take it in, dat de overseer sho did drive dem slaves; dey had to be up and in de field 'fore sunup and he wuked 'em 'til slap, black dark. When dey got back to de big house, 'fore dey et supper, de overseer got out his big bull whip and beat de ones dat hadn't done to suit him durin* de day. He made 'em strip off deir clothes down to de waist, and evvywhar dat. old bull whip struck it split de skin. Dat was awful, awfult Some- times slaves dat had been beat and butchered up so bad by dat overseer man would run away, and next day Aunt Suke would be sho to go down to de spring to wash so she could leave some old clothes dar for 'em to git at night. I«se tellin* you, slaves sho did fare common in dem days. "My Aunt Mary b*longed to Marse John Craddock ) and when his wife died and left a little baby - dat was little Miss Lucy - Aunt Mary was nussin' a new baby of her own, so Marse John made her let his baby suck too. If Aunt Mary was feedin* her own baby and Miss Lucy started cryin* Marse John would snatch her baby up by the legs and spank him, and tell 96 6* Aunt Mary to go on and nuss his baby fust. Aunt Mary couldnft N answer him a word, but my na said she of fen seed Aunt Mary cry ' ?til de tears met under her chin. "I ainft never heared nothin1 fbout no jails in slavery time. What dey done den was 'most beat de life out of de Niggers to make fem be~have. Ma was brung to (^Bairdstown and sold on de block to Marse Joe long ffore I was borned, but I ain't never seed no slaves sold. Lordy, Mistess, ainft nobody never told you it was agin de law to larn a Nigger to read and write in slavery time? White folks would chop A your hands off for dat quicker dan dey would for fmost anything else. Datfs jusf a sayinf, fchop your hands off.1 Why, Mis- tess, a Nigger widout no hands wouldnft be able to wuk much, and his owner couldn*t sell him for nigh as much as he could git for a slave wid good hands. Dey jus1 beat *em up bad when dey cotched *em studyin* readin* and writin*, but folks did tell ?bout some of de owners dat cut off one finger evvy time dey coteh a slave tryin* to git larnin*. How-some-ever, dere was some Niggers dat wanted larnin* so bad dey would slip out at night and meet in a deep gully whar dey would study by de light of light*ood torches; but one thing sho, dey better not let no white folks find out *bout it, and if dey was lucky •nough to be able to keep it up *til dey lamed to read de Bible, dey kept it a close secret. 7- 98 "Slaves warnft flowed to have no churches of dey own and dey had to go to church wid de white folks. Dere warnft no room for chlllun in de Baptist church at Bairdstown whar Marse Joe tuk his grown-up slaves to meetinf, so I never did git to go to none, but he used to take my ma along, but she was baptized by a white preacher when she Jined up wid dat church. De crick was nigh de church and dat was whar dey done de baptizin'. *None of our Niggers never knowed enough fbout de North to run off up &ar. Lak I done told you, some of 'em did run off atter a bad beatin', but dey jusf went to de woods* Some of 'em come right on back, but some didnft; Us never knowed whar dem what didn't come back went. Show me a slavery-time Nigger dat ain't heared fbout paterollersl Mistess, I fclar to goodness, paterollers was de devil's own hossQff. If dey cotched a Nigger out and his Marster hadn't fixed him up wid a pass, it was jus1 too bad; dey most kilt him. Tou couldnft even go to de Lordfs house on Sunday 'less you had a ticket sayin': *Dis Nigger'is de propity of Marse Joe McWhorter. Let him go*f "Dere warn't never no let-up when it come to wuk. When slaves come in from de fields atter sundown and tended de stock and et supper, de mens still had to shuck corn, mend hoss collars, cut wood, and sich lak; de 'omans mended clothes, spun thread, wove cloth, and some of 'em had to go up to de big house 8* and nuss de white folks1 babies. One night my ma had been nussin* one of dem white babies, and atter it dozed off to sleep she went to lay it in its little bed. De child*s foot cotch itself in Marse Joe's galluses dat he had done hung on de foot of de bed, and when he heared his baby cry Marse Joe woke up and grabbed up a stick of wood and beat ma over de head 'til he 'most kilt her. Ma never did seem right atter dat and when she died she still had a big old knot on her head. "Dey said on some plantati ohs slaves was let off from wuk when de dinner bell rung on Saddays, but not on our'n; dere warn't never no let-up 'til sundown on Sadday nights atter dey had tended to de stock and et supper. On Sundays dey ' was * lowed to visit fround a little atter dey had 'tended church, but dey still had to be keerful to have a pass wid 'em. Marse Joe let his slaves have one day for holiday at Christmas and he give 'em plenty of extra good somepin t'eat and drink on dat special day. New Year's Day was de hardest day of de whole year, for de overseer jus' tried hisself to see how hard he could drive de Niggers dat day, and when de wuk was all done de day ended off wid a big pot of cornfield peas and hog jowl to eat for luek. Dat was s*posed to be a sign of plenty too. "Cornshuckin's was a mighty go dem days, and folks from miles and miles around was axed. "flhen de wuk was done dey had a big time eatin', drinkin', wrestlin', dancin', and all sorts of frolickin'. Even wid all dat liquor flowin' •• 100 so free at eornshuckinfs I never heared of nobody gittin1 mad, and Marse Joe never said a cross word at bis eornshuckin's*. He allus picked bright moonshiny nights for dem big cotton pickinfs, and dere warn't nothin* short fbout de big eats dat was waitinf for dem Niggers ^iien de cotton was all picked out.- De young folks danced and cut up evvy chanct dey got and called deyselfs havin* a big time* "Games? Well, 'bout de biggest things us played when I was a chap was baseball, softball, and marbles? Us made our own marbles out of clay and baked fem in de sun, and our baseballs and softballs was made out of rags. "Does I know anything *bout ghosties? Tea, mam, I sees hafnts and ghosties any time. Jusf t'other night I seed a man widout no head, and de old witches fmost nigh rides \ me to death* One of fem got holt of me night ffore last and fmost choked me to death; she was in de form of a black cat. Mistess, some folks say dat to see things lak dat is a sign your blood is out of order. Now, me, I donft know what makes me see f em. "Marse Joe tuk mighty good.keer of sick slaves. He allus called in a doctor for fem, and kept plenty of castor ile, turpentine, and de lak on hand to dose fem wid. Miss Emily made teas out of a heap of sorts of leaves, barks, and roots, sich as butterfly root, pine tops, mullein, catnip and mint leaves, feverfew grass, red oak bark, slippery ellum bark, and 10. 101 black gum chips* Most evvybody had to wear little sacks of papaw seeds or of assyfizzy (asafetida) fround deir necks to keep off diseases.' "Dey used to say dat a free Nigger from de North come through de South and seed how de white folks was treatin1 his race, den he went back up dsr and told folks fbout it and axed 'em to holp do somepinf 'bout it. Dat's what I heared tell was de way de big war got started dat ended in settin' slaves free. My folks said dat when de Yankee sojers come through, Miss ^mily was cryin* and takin' on to beat de band. She had all her silver in her apron and didn't know whar to hide it, so atter awhile she handed it to her cook and told her to hide it. De cook put it in de woodpile. De Yankee mens broke in de smokehouse, brought out meat and isrd, kilt chickens, driv off cows and nosses, but dey never found Miss Imily's silver. It was a long time ffore our fambly left Marse Joe's place. "Marse Joe never did tell his Niggers dey was free. One day one of dem Yankee sojers rid through de fields whar dey was wukin' ana he axed 'em if dey.didn't know dey was as free as deir Marster. Dat Yankee kept on talkin* and told 'em dey didnft have to stay on wid Marse Joe fless dey wanted to, end dey didn't have to do nothin1 nobody told 'em to if dey didn't want to do it. He said dey was deir own bosses end was to do as dey pleased from de time of de surrender. ii. 102 nSchools was sot up for slaves not long atter dey was sot free, and a few of de old Marsters give deir Niggers a little land, but not many of fem done dat. Jus* as de Niggers was branchinf out and startinf to live lak free folks, dem nightriders come flong beatinf , cuttin*, and slashin1 fem up, but I fspects some of dem Niggers needed evvy lick dey got* "Now, Mistess, you knows all Niggers would ruther be free, and I ainft no diffunt from nobody else fbout dat. Yes, mam, Ifse mighty glad Mr- Abraham Lincoln and Jeff Davis fit ftil dey sot us free. Dat Jeff Davis ought to be •shamed of hisself to want Niggers^kept in bondage; dey says dough, dat he v/as a mighty good man, and Miss Millie Rutherford said some fine things fbout him in her book what Sarah read to me, but you canft fspect us Niggers to bflieve he was. so awful good. "Me and Ross Barrow had a pretty fair weddinf and a mighty fine supper* I donft ricollect what she had on, but I'se tellin* you she looked pretty and sweet to me. Our two boys and three gals is done growed up arid Ifse got three grandchillun now. Rosa, she dived out fbout 2 months ago and Ifse gwine to marry agin soon as I finds somebody to take keer of me ? "I was happier de day I jined de church at 12. 103 Sander's Chapel, dan I»se been since. It was de joyfullest day of all my life, so far. Folks ought to git ready for a better world dan dis to live in when dey is finished on dis earth, and I*se sho glad our Good Lord saw fit to set us free from sin and slavery. If he hadn't done it, I sho would have been desd long ago. Yistidday I picked a little cotton to git me some bread, and it laid me out. I can't wuk no more. I don't know how de Blessed Lord means to provide for me but I feels sho He ain't gwine to let me perish." TlrST^-fo * Henrietta Carlisle ¦•.«•. ' • ilberta Minor Re~searoh Workers 104 100034 - V '4 Koine Malone - Ex-slave ^ Interviewed 7if ¦v* Mollie was born on a plantation owned by Mr Talentine Brook, near Locust Grove, Georgia. Mr. Brook died before the War and his wife, "the widder Brock", ran the plan- tation. Slaves not needed on the home plantation were ""hired out" to other land owners for from #200.00 to .§300.00 a year. This was done the first of each year by an auction from a "horse blook". 7&en Mb Hie was seven months old her mother, Claey Brook, was "hired out" and she was taken oare of by two old legroes, too old to vfork, and who did nothing but oare for the little "Mggers". Hollie grew up with these children between the "big house" and the kitchen. IShen she was old enough she was "pat to mind" the smaller children and if they did'nt behave she punch- ed them, but "when the fole Miss found it out, she'd, sure "whup oen, she said. These children were fed cornbread and milk for breakfast and supper, and "pot lioker" with cornbread for dinner, Thay slept in a large room on guilts or pallets. Each night the larger children were given so many "cuts" to spin, and were punished if all wereit't finish- ed. The thread was woven into cloth on the loom and made into clothes by the slaves who did the sewing. There were no *store bought" clothes, and Mollie was free before she ?\:z*:£ri%)&?$MFg$ 105 ever owned a pair of shoes. Clothes had to he furnished by the owner for the slaves he "hired oat?. Mr. and Mrs. Brook had two daughters, Margaret and Mary Anne, who led very quiet secluded lives, Mollie remembers visits of the traveling preacher, who oonduoted services in a nearby ohurch onoe a month. She slaves walked behind the White folks* earriages to and from the church, where they were seated in the rear during the services, if there were baptisms, the Whites were baptized first, then the Darkies* On this plantation the Hegroes were not allowed to engage in any frolics or attend sooial gatherings. Shay only knew Christmas by the return of the hired out slaves, who oame home for a week Before €he next auction. She young lady daughters of Mr. and &rs. Brock wore "drag , tail" dresses, and Mollie says the little IJigroea had to hold these long skirts off the ground whenever they were out doors, then spread them as they went' into the house so they oould "strut." She ohildren were not allowed any education other than the "ole Miss" reading them the Bible on Sunday afternoons. She older Negroes were not allowed to visit on other plan- tations often, but when they did go they had to have passes «•$*. from their masters or the "patarolers" would whip them •* if they were ©aught.. Hoar-hound and penny-royal were used for minor ailments, and "Varnish11 was put on outs "by the "ole Miss*. Mo Hie doesfct£ remember ever seeing a doctor, other than a mid»wife, on the plantation. Home made remedies for "palpitation of the heart" was to wear tied around the neok a pieoe of lead, pounded into the shape of the heart, and punched with nine .holes, or to get some one "not kin to you", to tie some salt in a small hag and wear it over your heart. Toothache was oured hy smoking a pipe of "life everlasting", commonly called "rabbit tobacco". Headaches were stopped by heating the whites of an egg stiff, adding soda and putting on a cloth, then tying around the head. < Mr. Brock died before the War, consequently not having any men to go from the plantation, Mollie knew very little about it. She remembers Confederate soldiers "praetioin" at Looust Grove, the nearest town, and one time the Yankees oame to the plantation and "took off" a horse Mrs. Brook had hi a* den in the swamp, also all the silver found buried. . * Mollie knew nothing of the freedom of the slaves until her mother came to get her. For two years they "hired out" on a farm in Butts County, where they worked in the fields. 107 Several times in la^er years Mollie returned to the Brook plantation to see "the ole Mias" and the young Msaes. Mrs. Brook and her daughters, who had never married, died on the plantation where they had always lived. Hollies family "knooked around awhile", and then earns to Griffin where they have since made their home. She "became a familiar figure driving an ox-oart on the streets and doing odd ^obs for White families and leading a useful life in the community. Besides her own family, Mollie has raised fifteen orphaned Hegro children. She is approximately nine- r ty years old, being "about growd" when the War ended* Mollie Malone Houte B, Griffin, Georgia September 16, 1936. 100020 ' 108 <6 ^ A 1X-SLAVE. INTERVIEW Aunt Carrie Mason Milledgeville, Georgia (Baldwin County) Written By: Mrs. Estelle G> Burke Research. Worker Federal Writers' Project Milledgeville, Georgia Edited By: John N, Booth Asst. District Supervisor Federal Writers' Project Athens, Georgia District Two July 7, 1937 109 EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW Aunt Carrie Mason Milledgeville, Georgia (Baldwin County) *Hov/dy* Miss, Howdy* Come on in* George is poly today* My grandciiillun is doinf a little eleanin' up fer me fcause us thinks George ain't got long on this earth an* us don* want de place ter be dirty an* all when iiers gone** The home of Aunt Carrie and Uncle George Mason, a two-room cabin surrounded by a dirty yard, stands in a clearing. Old tin cans, bottles, dusty fruit jars, and piles of rat-tail cotton from gutted mattresses littered the place. An immense sugarberry tree, beautifully proportioned, casts inviting sixade directly in front of the stoop. It is the only redeeming fea- ture about the premises* Aunt Carrie, feeble and gray haired, hobbled out in the yard with the aid of a stick* "Have a seat, Miss. Dat cheer is all right. It wonrt fall down* Donft git yof feet wet in dat dir^y water. My grand- chillun is scourinT terday. Sffen yer want to,usrll set under de tree. Deyrs a cool breeze dar all de time. "You wants to fin* out my age anr all? Law Miss, I donf know how ole I is. George is nigh 'bout 90. I fmembers my mammy said I wuz bawn a montr or two 'fore freedom wuz fclared. Tasfum I rekymembers all rbout de Yankees* How cum I fmembers fbout dem an' de war wuz over den? I cain*t tell yer dat, but I knows Ifmembers seein1 fem in de big road. It mought not uv Burke-Booth 2 HO been Mister Sherman's mens but| mammy said de Yankees wuz flndebig^ freedom wuz rclared, an* dey wuz [down here gettin* things straight* Dey wuz sho* in er mess ptter de wart Evvythin* wuz tore up an* de por niggers did- n't know which away to turn. "My mammy's name wuz Catherine Bass an* my pappy wuz Ephriam Butts. Us belonged ter Mars* Ben Bass an' my mammy had de same name ez marster twell she mafied pappy. He bflonged ter somebody else *til marster bought him. Dey had ten chil- lun. No, mam, Mammy didn't have no doctor,* Aunt Carrie chuckled, "Didn't nobody hardly have a doctor in dem days. De white folks used yarbs an* ole *omans to he*p 'em at dat time^JMammy had er ole 'oman whut lived on de place evvy time she had a little run. She had one evvy year too. She lost one. Dat chile run aroun* *til she wuz one year ole an' den died wid de disentery. "Us had er right hard time in dem days- De beds us used den warn't like dese here nice beds us has nowadays. Don't you laugh, Berry, I knov^s dese beds us got * now is fbout to fall down," Aunt Carrie admonished her grandson when he guf- fawed at her statement, "You chilluns run erlong now anf git thoo* wid dat cleaning* Aunt Carrie's spirits seemed damp- ened by Berry's rude laugh and it was several minutes before she started talking again- "Dese young folks don't know nuthin* 'bout hard times. Us wukked in de ole days frum before sunup Burke-Booth *til black nig&t an* us knowed whut wuk wuz. De beds us slep* on had roun* postes made outen saplins of hickory or little pine trees. De bark wuz tuk off an1 dey wuz rubbed slick an* shiny. De sprangs wuz rope crossed frum ona side uv de bed to de udder. De mattress wuz straw or cotton in big sacks made outen osnaberg or big salt sacks pieced ter- d gether. Mammy dinft have much soap an* she uster scrub de flor wid sand an* it wuz jes ez white. Yas mam, slxe made all de soap us used, but it tuk a heap. Wefuns cooked in de ashes an* on hot coals, but de vittals tasted a heap betterfn dey does nowadays? Mammy had to wuk in de fielf an* den cum home an* cook fer marster anr his fambly. I didn* know nuth- in* *bout it ftill atter freedom but I hyearn fem tell *bout it. "Mammy an* pappy stayed on Marsterfs plantation ftil a year or mof atter dey had dey freedom. Marster paid *em wages an* a hoase ter stay in. He didn*t hav* many slaves, *bout 20, I reckon. My brothers wuz Berry, Danifl, Ephriam, Sully, Bob, Lin, anr George. De yuthers I disremembers caze dey leff home when dey wuz big enough to earn dey livinr an* I jes &on*t rec- ollec*# "Conjur* womanl Law miss, I aims ter git ter Hebem when I dies an* I show don*t know trow ter conjur* nobody. No mam, I ain*t never seed no giiost. I allus p»?ty to de Lord dat He e spar1 me dat troubl an1 not let me see nary one. No good in Burke-Booth , 112 4 folks plunderinr on dis earth atter dey leave here de fus time* Go fway, dog." A spotted hound, lean and flop-eared was scratching in- dustriously under Aunt Carrie's chair* It was a still sum- mer day and the flies droned ceaselessly. A well nearby creaked as the dripping bucket was drawn to the top by a granddaughter who had come in from the field to get a cool drink* Aunt Carrie watched the girl for a moment and then went back to her story* "Effen my mammy or pappy ever runned away from Marster, I ain't heered tell uv it, but Mammy said daz when slaves did run away, dey wuz cotched anr whupped by de overseer. Effen a man or a foman kil: another one den dey wuz branded \ wid er hot i'on. Er big S wuz p Ifse had eigho chilluns of my own. Us ainf never had no lanf us could call our?n. Us jes mdved from one farm ter another all our daj^s. This here lanf us is on now flongs ter Mr. Cline. My son anf his chillun wuks it an* dey give us whut dey kin spare. De Red Cross lady he'ps us an1 us gits along somehow or nother." 114 115 WORKS PROGRESS AmiHlSTRAIlOH Harry L. Hopkins, Adninistrator Ellen S. Woodward, Assistant Administrator Henry S. Alsberg, Director of the Federal Iriters1 Project. JfrfljTATjOff LIFE Interview withr Susan Matthews Madison Street, Macon, Georgia. Written by: Ruth H. Sanford Macon, Georgia- Edited by: Annie A* Rose Macon, Georgia. i. 116 SOSAN MATTHEWS Ex- Slave—-Age 84. Susan Matthews is an intelligent old negress, very tall and weighing close to two hundred pounds. Her eyes were bright, her "store-boughtB teeth aasled in a smile as she expressed her willingness to tell us all she remembered "bout ole tlaes." In a tattered, faded print dress, a misshapen hat and ragged sloes, she sat enjoying the sunshine on the porch while she sewed on an underskirt she was making for hex* self from old sugar sacks. Her manner was cheerful; she seemed to get genuine enjoy- ment from the interview and gave us a hearty invitation to come to see her again* "1 was jes a chile* she began,'when de white folks had slaves. My ma an her chillen wus the onliest slaves my aarster and mistis had. My pa belonged to some mo white folks that lived 'bout five miles from us. My marster and mistis mere poor folks. They lived in a white frame house; it wuz jes a little house that had 'bout five rooms, 1 reckon. The house had a kitchen in the backyard and the house my ma lived wuz in the back yard too, but 1 wuz raised in my mistis1 house. 1 slept in her room} slep' on the foot of her bed* to keep her feets warm and everwhere my mistif went 1 went to. My marster and mistis wuz she good to us an we loved 'em. My ma, she done the cooking and the washing fer the family and she could work in the fields jes lak a man. She could pick her three hundred pounds of cotton or pull as muc^ fodder as any man. She wuz strong an she had a new baby mos1 ev'y year. My marster and Mistis liked for to have a lot of chillen ' cause that helped ter make 'em richer." 1 didn't have much time fer playin' when 1 wuz little cause 1 wuz allus busy waitin* on my mistis er taking care on my little brothers and sisters. But 1 did have a doll to play with. It wuu a rag doll an my mistis made it fer me. 1 wuz jes crazy 'bout that doll and 1 learned how to sew making clothes fer it* I'd make clothes fer it an wash an iron 'em, and it wasn't long 'fo 1 knowed how to sew reel good, an 1 been sewing ever since. My white folks wern't rich er tall but we always bad plenty of somep'n to eat, and we had fire wood to keep us warm in winter too. We had plenty of syrup and corn bread, and when dey killed a hog we had fine sausage an ckitlin's, an all sorts of good eating. My marster and the white an collored boys would go hunting, and we had squirrels an rabbits an possums jes lots of time. lessuw, we had plenty; we never did go hongry. * does 1 remember 'bout the lankees coming?, les ma'am, 1 she does. The white chillen an us had been looking rex* 'em and looking fer 'em. We wanted 'em to come. We knowed 'twould be fun to see 'em. And sho 'nuf one day 1 wuz out in de front yard to see and 1 seed a whole passel of men in blue coats coming down de road. 1 hollered '"BBre come de Yankees". 1 knowed twuz dem an my aistis an an my ma an ev'y body come out in the front yard to see 'em. The lankees stopped an the leading nan with the straps on his shoulders talked to us an de men got water outen de well. So'n, they didn't take nothing an they hart nothing. After a whUe>hey jes went on dwn ti.e road; t>.ey sho looked hot an dusty an tired. 2 117 After de war wuz over my pa, he corned up to our house an got my ma an all us chillen an carries us down to his marster's place. 1 didn't want ter go cause 1 loved my mistis an she cried when we left. My pa's ole marste^Le^ htm hare some land to woifc 'on shares. M|;fpa wuz a hard worker an we helped him in in a few years he bought a little piece of land an he owned it till he died. 'Bou^once er twice a year we'd all go bark ter see our mistis. She wuz alyays glad to see us an treated us fine. " if ter de war a white woman started a school f er nigger chillen an my pa sent us. This white lady wuz a ole maid an wuz mighty poor. She an her ma lived by dereselves, 1 reckon her pa had done got kilt in de war. 1 don't know 'bout that but 1 knows they wuz mighty poor an my pa paid her fer teaching us in things to eat fro© his farm. We didn't never have bo money. 1 loved to go to school; 1 had a blue back speller an 1 learned real quick but we didn't get ter go all the time. When there wuz work ter do on the farm we had ter stop an do it. "Times warn't no better after de war wuz over an dey warnt no wuss. We rtxz po before de war an we wuz po after de war. But we allus had somep'n to wear and plenty to eat an we never had no kick coming. "1 never did get married, l'se a old maid nigger, an they tells me you don't see old maid niggers. How come 1 ain't married 1 donft know. Seems like when 1 was young 1 seed somep'n wrong with all de mens that would come around. Then atter while 1 wuz kinder ole an they didn't come around no mo. Jesf last week a man come by here what used to co ft me. He seed me settin here on the porch an 1 says ' Come on in an set a while1, an he did. So maybe, 1 ain't through co'tin* maybe 111 get married yet.* Here she laughed gleefully. When asked which she preferred freedom or slavery she replied? Well, being free wuz all right while 1 wuz young but now I'm old an 1 wish 1 B'longed to somebody cause they would take keer of me an now 1 ain't got nobody to take keer of me. The government gives me sfcjht dollars a month but that donft go fer enough* 1 has er hard time cause 1 can't git around an work like 1 used to. * Q / vr"" £ -i nn i /i -v V l AlWta Minor ' - Jr-*l^7~l*~ 100147 He-search Worker. Hg ^y Koiily Mays ^ Interviewed - Emily was born in 1861 on the Billy Stevens plantation in Upson County. Her mother, Betsy Wyoh, was born at Hawkins- ville, Georgia, and sold to ifir. Billy Stevens. \ $he fathef \ Peter Wyoh., was born in West Virginia. A free man, he was part Indian and when driving a team of oxen into Virginia for lime, got into the slave territory, was overtaken by a / "speculator1* and brought to Georgia where he was sold to { the Wyches of Macon. He cooked for them at their. Hotel, "The Brown House" for a number of years, then was sold "on the block" to Mr. Stevens of Upson County. Betsy was sold at this same auction. Betsy and Peter were married by "jumping the broomstick" after Mr. Stevens bought them. •I*hey had sixteen children, of which Smily is the next to the last. She was always a "puny", delicate child and her mother died when she was about seven years old. She heard people tell her father t&at she"wasn't intented to be raised ?cause she was so little an4 her mother was "acomin* to get her soon." Hearing this kind of remarks often had a depressing effect upon the child, and she "watched the clouds" all the time expecting her mother and was "bathed la tears" most of the time. *** 119 After the war, Peter rented a "patch" from Mr. Kit Parker and the whole family worlced in the fields except Emily. She waw not big enough so they let her wrk in the "big house" until Mrs. Parker*s death. She helped "'tend" the daughter's babies, "wash- ed and ironed table napkins and waited on them "generally" for which she can't remember an^pay? but they fed and clothed her. Her older sister learned to weave when she was a slave, and helped sew for the soldiers; so after freedom she continued making cloth and sewing for the family while the others worked in the fields.\ Buttons were made from dried gourds./They lived well, raising more on their patch than they could possi- bly use and selling the surplus. For coffee they split and dried sweet potatoes, ground and parched them. The only education Stnily received was at the "Sugar Fill" Sun- day School, fhey were too busy in the spring for social gather- ings, but after the crops were harvested, they would have "corn shuckings" where the Negroes gathered from neighboring farms and in three or four days time would finish at one place then move on to the next farm. It was quite a social gathering and the farm fed all the guests with the best they had. The Prayer Meetings and "singings" were other pleasant diver- sions from the daily toil. -®- 120 After Mrs,. Parkers death Emily worked in her father's fields until she was married to Aaron Mays, then she came to Griffin where she has lived ever since. She is 75 years old and has cooked for B^|hite folks** until she was just too old to "see good", so she now lives with her daughter. Emily Mays. East Solomon Street, Griffin, Georgia. 00080 121 INTERVIEW WITH LIZA MENTION BEECH ISLAND, S. G. Written and Edited By: Leila Harris and John N. Booth federal Writers' Project Augusta, Georgia March 25, 1938 .00080 122 LIZA MENTION tfCome right in* Have a seat* I'll be glad to tell you any- thing I can fbout dem early days", said Liza Mention. "Course I warnft born till de second year atter freedom, so I donft fmember nothinT 'bout all dat fightin' durinf de war* Ifse sho' glad I warn't born in slavery from what I heared fem tell fbout aem patterol- lers ketchin' and beatin1 up folks." Liza's house, a 2-room hut with a narrow front porch, stands in a peaceful spot on the edge of the Wilson plantation at Beech Island, south Carolina. A metal sign on the door which revealed that zhe property is protected by a theft insurance service aroused wonder as to what Liza had/ that could attract a burglar. The bedroom was in extreme disorder with clothing, shoes, bric-a-brac, and just plain junk scattered about* The old Negress had been walking about the sunshiny yard and apolo- gized for the mess by saying that she lived alone and did as she pleased. r!Folks says I oughtn't to stay here by myself," she re- marked, "but I laks to be independent. I cooked 25 years for de Wil- son fambly and dey is gonna let me have dis house free ftil I die 'cause I ain't able to do no work*" Liza's close-fitting hat pinned her ears to her head. Jhe wore a dress tnatwas soiled and copiously patchea and her worn out brogans were several sizes too large. Ill health probably accounts for this untidiness for, as she expressed it, "when I gits up I hate to set down and when I sets down, I hates to git up, my knees hurts me so," ,- - ;*,-¥. !n ^-^wpp^TJ^ ^•^r^^^W^^^m^^^K^^^^ however, her face broke into a toothless grin on the slightest provocation, "I wuz born up on de Reese's place in Mofiuffie Ceumty near Thomson, Georgia. When I wuz chiliun us didn't know nothin' 'bout no wuk," she volunteered. "My ma wuz a invalis (invalid) so when I wuz 6 years old she give me to her sister over here at Mr, Ed McBlmurray's place to raise* I ain^t never knowed who my pa wuz» Us chaps played all de time wid white chiliun jus* lak dey had all been Higgers. Ghillun den didn't have sense lak dey got now} us wuz satisfied jus' to play all de time* I "members on Sundays ua used to take leaves and pin 'em together wid thorns to make jasieives dresses and hats to play in. I never did go to school none so I don't know nothin* 'bout readin' and writin' and spellin'. I can't spell my own name, but 1 think it begins wid a M. Hit's too late to study 'bout all dat now 'cause my old brain couldn't learn nothin', Hit's done lost most all of what little I did know. "Back in dem times, folkses cooked on open fireplaces in winter time and in summer dey built cook stands out in de yard to set de spiders on, so us could cook and eat outdoors. Dere warn't no stoves nowhar. When us wuz hard up for sompin' green to bile 'fore de gyar^ dens got goin' good, us used to go out and git wild mustard, poke salad, or pepper grass. Us et 'em satisfactory and dey never kilt us. I have et heaps of kinds of diffunt weeds and I still eats a mess of poke saldd once or twice a year 'cause it's good for you. Us cooked a naked hunk of fat meat in a pot wid some corn dumplia's. -3- 124 De grown folks would eat de meat and de chilluns would sit around on de floor and eat ae potlikker and dumpiin's out of tin pans. Us enjoyed .dat stui'f jus' lak it had been pound cake* "Dances in dem days warnTt dese here hugginr kind or dances lak dey has now. iJere warn't no Big Apple nor no Little Apple neither. Us had a house wid a raised flatform (platform) at one end whar de music-makers sot. Dey had a string band wid a fiddle, a trumpet, and a banjo, but uere warn't no guitars lak dey has in dis day* One man called de sets and us danced de cardrille (quad- rille) de Virginia reel, and de 16-hand cortillion. When us made syrup on de farm dere would always be a candy pullin'. Dat home- made syrup made real good candy. Den us would have a big time at corn siiuekin's too. "I don't believe in no conjuration. Ainft nobody never done nothin' to me but 1 have seed people dat other folks said had been hurt. If somebody done somethin' to me ± wouldn't know whar to find a root-worker to take it off and anyv/ays I wouldn't trust dem sort of folks f cause if dey can cyore you dey can kill you too. "I'se a member of de Silver Bluff Baptist Church, and I been go in1 to Sunday School aar nearly ever since I can 'member* You know dey say dat's de oldest Nigger church in de country. At fust a white man come from Savannah ana de church wuz built for his family and dey slaves. Later aere wuz so many colored members de white folks come out and built another house so de niggers could have de old one. When dat ole church wuz tore down, de colored folks wor- shipped for a long tiue in a goat house and den in a brush arbor. -4- 125 Some folks calls it de Dead River Church Tcause it used to be near Dead Hiver and de baptisinT wuz done dar for a long time. I wuz baptised dar myself and 1 loves de old spot of ground* 1 has tried to be a good church member all my life but it's hard fer me to get a nickel or a dime for preacher money now. When asked if people in the old days got married by jumping over a broom she made a chuckling sound and replied: "No, us had de preacher but us didn't have to buy no license and I canft see no sense in buyinr a license nohow, fcause when dey gits ready to quit, dey just quits.rt Liza brought an old Bible from the other room in which she said she kept the history of the old church. There were also pic- tures from some of her "white folks" who had moved to North Carolina, "My husband has been daid for 40 years," she asserted, "and 1 hasnTt a chile to my name, nobody to move nothin' when I lays it down and • nobody to pick nothin1 up. I gets along pretty well most of ae time though, but x wishes I could work so i would feel more independent." 126 EX-SLAVE INTEhVISW Aunt Harriet Miller Toccoa, Georgia (Stephens County) written By: Mrs. Annie feee Newton Kesearch Worker Federal Writers' Project • Athens, Georgia Edited By: John N. Booth Asst. District Supervisor Federal Writers' Project. Athens, Georgia District Two July 15, 1937 1%1 EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW Aunt Harriet Miller Toccoa, Georgia (Stephens County) Aunt Harriet Miller, a chipper and spry JLnaian Half- Dreed, thinks she is about 100 years old. It is remarkable that one so old should possess so much energy and animation. She is tall and spare, with wrinkled face, bright eyes, a kinaly expression, and she wears her iron grey hair wound in a knob in the manner of p past generation. Aunt Harriet was neatly dressed as she had just returned from a trip to Cornelia to see some of hhr folks. She did not appear at all tired from the trip, and seemed glad to disctiss the old days. "My fatner," said Aunt Harriet, was a Cherokee Inaian named Green Norris, and my mother was a white woman named betsy Richards* You see, I am mixed. My mother give me to Mr. George Naves \men I was three years old* He lived in de mountains of South Carolina, just across de river. He didn't own his home. &e was overseer for de Jarre tts, old man Kennedy Jarrett* Honey, people was just like dey is now, some good and some bad* Mr. Waves was a good man. Dese here Jarretts was good to deir slaves but de----—«—s was mean to deirs. My whitefolks tried to send me to school but de whitefolks wouldn't receive me in deir school on account of I was mixed, and dere warnrt no colored school aiji fall, nowhere. Some of de white ladies taught fanny Nix-----------Ex-Slave o? Interviewed. f ?aMy wa, born in 8laTery «« w. -a graat bie girl- *.. *. slaves were freed but does not know her exact age, however, she thinks that she was "at least twelve when the War broke out." According to this method of estimating her age, Fanny is about eighty-seven, The old woman's parents were John Arnold and Rosetta Green, who were married *away befo de wah* by steppin* over the broom» in the presence of "old Harse," and a lot of oolored friends. Fanny does not know where her parents were born, but thinks that they were born in Dp son county near Thomaston, Georgia, and knows that she and her two brothers and other sister were* Fanny and her family were owned by Judge Jim Green. Judge Green had a hundred or so acres of land Fanny 'reckon*, and between twenty-five and seventy-five slaves. "The Marster was just as good as he could be to all the slaves, and especially to the little chill un." "The Judge did not ?whup* much-and used a peach tree limb and done it hisself • itery A. Crawford a .x|*e 90 as not to gel* into trouble, and; "fcfesr* he has never been in *ail nor in any meanness of any kindt due to ii'ha'b jUis lU'ld Kr. Jasper Willis, w>g wac Henryfs owner, lived on a large plan- tation of about fthree hundred/acres in Upson County* Mr, Willis 3 2 / '6 ^ x / w v owned only about\t±ttj)or(sixty /slaves as well as Henry can reaembsr. S?he old man considers Mr. Willis "the best marster that a darky ever h&cf ^saying that he *shoir made his darkies work :inu, but he never beat them or let the patter-role do it* though sometimes he did use a switch on fdmn. Henry recalls that he received **a sound whuppin onot, 'case be.throwed a rock at one of Marse Jasperfs fine cows and broke her lalf I" * 144 When asked if Mr. Willis had the slaves taught to read and write, Henry hooted at the idea, saying emphatically, BUo, Mam, f01e Marse' wua sho hard aftout dat. He said 'Niggers1 wuz made by de good lawd to work, and onet when my Uncle stole a hook and wuz a trying to learn how to read and write, Marse Jasper had the vfhite doctor take off ray Uncle's foT finger right down to de 'fust ,JintT. iiarster said he fixed dat darky as a sign fo de res uv *emj Ho, Miss, we v/uzn't larnedj" Mr. Willis allowed his slaves from Saturday at noon till Monday morning as a holiday, and then they air/ays had a week for Christ- mas. All of the Hegroes went to meeting on Sunday afternoon in the white people1 a church and were served "by the white minister. Henry says that they had a "circuit doctor11 on his I&arster's place and the doctor came around regularly at least every tv/o weeks, "case Marsber paid him to do so and? 'xamined evah darky big and little on dat plantation.n One time Henry recalls that he Tthad a turrible cowbunkle" on the back of his neck and 'marsef had the doctor to cut it open. Henry knov/d better den to holler and cut upf too, when it v/as done* 2?he old nan remembers going to war with his young master and re- maining with him for the two years he was in service. They were in Richmond when the city surrendered to Grant and soon after that the young master wes killed in the fight at Tumlin Gap. Henry hardly knows how he got back.to ^Ole Maraterfr but is thank- 145 ful he did. After freedom Unost all of Mr. Willis1 darkies stayed on v/ith him but Henry nhad to act smart and run a?/ay« n Ke went over into Alabama and managed nto keep ***€ body and soul together somehow, for several years and then ire went batfk to Tf01e Karster. n Henry is v/ell and rather active for hist sijfoty»fteven or eightj years and 3, ikes to work. Ke has a ^ob now cleaning off the graves at the white cemetery but he and his wife depend mainlyfn-***t+*^ on their son ^og suppegt, who lives just across the street from them. Henry Ivix----------------808 S. Slaton Ave.t Gteiffin, Georgia. September 24, 1SS6. Ha*,!i!wi'!,»*." ""WB^npiiH loboat ¦Cs Lewis Ogle tree ** Ex-SlaYe # Lewis Ogletree was torn on the plantation of Mr* Fred Crowder of Spalding County, ^orgiaj near 'Griffin. SewiB does not know exactly when he was bornt but says that *« Xiiuiiii liliit he v/as maybe /seventeen/ye^rs old at the end of the war in, ?65# Shis would make him 38 now* £&?•• Crowder was the owner of a large number of slants and among them was Lettie Crowder, (maiM?iod an Ojj.ltlueu) ffTfe house- keeper and head servant in the home of Mr# Fred Crowder* Lettie was Lewis1 mother. Lewis remembers standing inside the picket fence with a lot of other little pick-a-ninnies watching for Sherman's irmy, and v/hen the Yankees got close enough to be heard plainly^they hid in the bushes or under the house^ The Yankees poured into the yard and into the house, making Lettie open the smoke-house and get them !.!r. Crowder's best whiskey and oftentimes they made her cook them a meal of ham and eggs* % Up. Crowder, Lettie1 a master, v/as ill during the war, having a cancer on bis left hand. ' . j^flTiA "'ffinw* f"VF^.pT"*™' ^ y?,^*^^^ !»3!WP»SW?T^^ Lewis reports that Mr. Crowder was a very hard master but a good one saying,"That it wasn't any use for the npatty-rolen (the Patrol) to come to Karse Crowder*s, 'cause he would not permit him Co "tech one of his darkles.n Mrs. Crowder, the nole mistis1*, had died justbefore the war "broke out and Mr. Crowder lived alone with his house servants. i'here /ere two young sons in the war. She oldest son. Col. Crowder, was in Virginia. Lewis said thet his Master whipped"'him only onee and that was for stealing. One day -hen the old master was taking a napt Lewis minding off the flies and thinking his "marster" asleee slipped over to the bi^ table and snatched sone canAy* Just as he picked u.r} a lursp, (it was Tfrock candy,n) "Whaziil ©1* i^iWi hadjfne, and when he got through, well, Lewis, didn't steal aivmore candy nor nothing* *Mastah nevah. took no fool- ishness from his darkies." Lev/is remembers very clearly when Mr. Crowder gave his darkies their freedom. "Mastah sent me and my lammy out to the cabin to tell all de darkies to come up to de rfbig house11, when they got there, there v;ere so m^ny that wife were up on the porch, on the st:-ps ano. all over the yard#tT \§;^>:^^^^Ww^^^^^^^^^^m^^^SIBls rov?n Avenue in South Atlanta* Mr. Orford is large in st tue and although £5 years of age he has a very active mind f re 11 as a good aense of humor, Mr* Orford was horn in Pike County, Georgia(near the present rite of Griffin) in U42, His master's-name was Jeff Orford, Mr, Orford describes bin as follows t "I.'arstci\ wus a rich man an' he had 'bout 250 slaves——'course Cat vas*nt so many 'c-\u^»: soir.e of de \ folks 'tfound dere kid 400 and 50% He haA plenty of land too—I don't kncv hor many acre?. He raised ev-ryth^ng he needed on 4te plant at ion an' sevr hid to ' uy nothing, • I'members v;hen de Yanttees come through-— ol' rrarrt r had 'bout 200 hirrA.Vj of ¦ hiskey hid in de smokehouse-—oat r.-ua de fust tire I ever jgo\ driHik''.% "Besides hiss elf an' his wife ol' mreter had\t^o\boys an* nine girls", . ; \ \ Cdnti&iing, Vv. Crford riids "My Ka did'nt Tuvr Eiari^lfclluai— jr.r1 ten boys :i:i' nine ;;i.-'lr, I vent to vorl; in imrster',- tickle ¦hen I v;us five '$e ars old an' I stayed dere 'till T wus thirty^flve* De fudt vork I hid to clo vus to nick up c'dps, feed chickens» an' keep de yard clean. By de tine 1 v/us eight years old I ius dri/in' my missus in de c arria -en, , All de rest of de sluvfs "ur fiel' hands, Dey sp^nt dere t:iae plowing an' t-iktn1 care of de plantation in genera\l, Dere wus some ,,rho spdit nil? an' others who took are of de sto-:\k an' made dc harness___de slaver did everyf-inr :n.t nrcoed to be dene on de •• lantation, Everybody had to git up. 'fore daybreak an' evtn-.'fwe it wus light enuff to see dey v?us in de fiel' -waitin' to ?ve ilG*? to run a furrovr, 'Long 'bout nine o'clock breakfus» v.'us sem''- to de 150 •2* fiel' in a wagon an' sll of *em stopped to eat* At twelve o'clock dey stopped again to eat dinner* After dat dey worked 'till it wus to dark to see, Y;omen in dem days could pick five-hundred pounds of cotton a day vid a child In a sack on dere backs," m"hen de veather v;us too bad to vork in de~ fiel' de hands cribed an' shucked conn. If dey had any rork of dere ovm to do dey had to do it at night", 5ccording to tlr. Crford there was alrays sufficient food on the Crford plantation for the slaves. All cooking vas done by one cook at the cook house. In front of the cook houce vere a number of long tables y-horc the slaves ate their meals v:hen they came in from t"e field?, Those children **ho vere too young to rotik in the fields rcre also fed at this house but instead of eating from the tables as did the grovn-ups they '-ere fed from^long troughs Mch the saiae as little pigs. Bach ras given a spoon at meal time and then all of the food vas dumped into the "trough at the same t4me# The reck day diet for the most part consisted of meats teud vegetiblrr——"ecnetiner "e cvea got chicken an' turkey"----says I'r, Crford, Coffee vas race by parching neal or corn and then foiling it in v-ater. ITone of the slaver ever'had to steal anything to eat on the Crford Plantation, . \ All of the clothing v-ofin on this rl ».nt ition ra_s made"-there . Sone of the roinen "ho ve--e too old to vork In the fields di3 the rpinn ng and th»- "-caving ar "-ell as the seeing of tie garnents\ Indigo vas used to dye the cloth. The vo*fce.h rore callico Cresses inc. the sien "ore ansenberg pants and shifts*. Tie children i~ore a one piece gimment not unlike a r light fly l|psthenfd dress. This "a? kept in place by a string tied arotmc! their raists. There vere 11j^M-'i,"'.vuajf^i^mm 151 at least ten sheeraafcera on the plantation and they were alwajre kept bust making shoes although.no slave ever got but one pair of shoes a year* These shoe? were made of very hafft leather ana 'ere called brogane. In the rear of the roaster's house was located the alavefg quarters* Each house was made of logs and was of the double type so that two families could be accommodated. The holes and chfbks in the walls were daubed with mud to keep the weather out* At one dnd of the structure was a 9®rge fireplace about six feet in width* The chimney was jade of dirt. As for furniture Mr, Orford sa|fetH You could sake your own furniture if you wanted to but ol1 marstefr would give yjwa rope bed an' tarro or three chairs an* dit wus all. De joattress wus made out of a big gag or a tickin* stuffed wid straw*—dat wus all de furniture in any of de houses•" "In dem days folks did'nt git sicH much like 6ty d© Jlsw, biit 'hen dey did de fult thing did fer 'em Vus to g&k 'em:^*^^ If dey had a cold den dey give 'er blue mfess pills. When dey wus very sick de marster sent fer&e doctor", \ "Our ol' marrtcr wus-*nt" liie some of \ie other ssarsters in de coraaunity—he never did do much whuppln of \iie slaves. One time ~- hit i v^hite nan an' ol' rar-ter said he r*us \goin* to cut ry arm c:'f on' dat rus c!e las* I heard of it. Some of \de other slaves urfctrr git rhuppins fer not -orkin* an' fer figHtir,'. «"y mother gr-t a tfhuppin once £er not ^orkin' ,- -T?hen dey got Ko bad ol' marster did'nt bother •bout ^hupnin* *em —he ^es' put 'em on <3e block an* am' sold *em like he would a el icken or sorrethin** r^ves also got v/huppins when dey wus caught off the plant it^pjEK wid! out a pas*** de Piaddie-Hollers whupped you den, I have knowedl,Slaves ta run 152 aw*gr an' hide in de voo€8«»—some of 'em even raised families dere#H "None of vm wus allowed to learn to read or to wi?**te Suit we could go to church along vi& d3 vhite folks * Then de preacher talked to de rlave>6 fee tol* "em not to steal fum de xaarsttr an* de missus tau~e dey vould he stealing fum dere selves—he tol* 'em to ask fcr v.rhat dey ranted an' it vrould be giwnn to 'em." ?.*hen Sherman parched through Georgia a number of the slaves on the Orford plantation ^oinec hig arnQr, However, i large number :-»enainec on the plantation even after freedom was declared, Mr» Grford was one of those -.ho remained. While the Yankee soldiers v-ere in the vicinity of the Crford plantation !*r, Orford, the ovtne~ of the plant\tion, hid in the voo&s and had some of the slaves "bring hi? foo? ,ctc, to Mm, Kn. Orforc ""if thirty-five years o" age rhen he left the plantation and at that tine |je married a twelve year o<£d girl* S&nce that time he hap been +hr f ath r of twenty-three children, -orje of -hon ire *o id \r£ none o" on ire still alive* 153 2 *AA*t* € BX-SIAVE INTERVIEW* AN2IA PARKSS 150 Strong Street Athens, Georgia Written by* Sarah H. Hall Federal Writers1Project Athens, Georgia Edited by: John Ih; Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers1 Project Residencies 6 & 7 Augus ta, Ge org i a il)Q067 154 AHHA PAHKES Ex-Slav© - Age 86 Anna Parkes* "bright eyes sparkled as she watched the crowd that thronged the hallway outside the office where she await- ed admittance. A trip to the downtown section is a rare event in the life of an 86 year old<^gFes$}9 and, accompanied "by her daughter, she v/as making the most of this opportunity to see the world that lay so far from the door of the little cottage where she lives on Strong Street• When asked if she liked to talk of her childhood days before the end of the Civil War, she eagerly replied: fltDeed, I does.11 She was evidently delighted to have found someone who actually wanted to listen to her, and proudly continued: ^Dem days sho1 wuz sompin1 to talk *bout. X don11 never git tired of talkin1 fbout fem. Paw, he wuz Oliastead Lumpkin, and Ma wuz Liza Lumpkin, and us bflonged to Jedge Joe Henry Lumpkin# Us lived at de lumpkin home place on Prince Avenue. I wuz born' de sane week as Miss Gallie Cobb, and whilst I don11 know z*ackly what day I wuz born, I kin be £jurty shof fbout how many years ole I is by axin1 how ole Miss Callie is. Fust I 'members much fbout v is to tin1 de key basket f round !hind Ole Miss when she give out de / vittals. I never done a Gawd1 s speck of -work but dat. I jes1 follered !long atter Ole Miss wid fer key basket. r,Did dey pay us any money? Lawsy, Lady! What for? Us didn't need no money. Ole Marster and Ole Miss all time give us plenty good sompin1 teat, and clores, and dey let us sleep in a good cabin, but us did have money nov/ and den. A heap of times us 2.. 155 had nickles and dimes* Dey had lots of compfny at Ole Marster's, and us allus act mighty spry v/aitin1 on fem, so dey would 'member us when dey lefr« Effen it wuz money dey gimme, I jes1 couldn't wait to run to de sto1 and spend it for candy." "What else did you buy with, the money?11, she was asked* "Nuffin1 else," was the quick reply. "All a piece of money meant to me dem days, wuz candy, and den mo1 candy. I never did git much candy as I wanted when I wuz chillun." Here her story took a rambling turn. "You see I didn1t have to save up for nuffin1. Ole llarster and Ole Miss, dey took keer of us* Dey shof wuz good white folkses, but den dey had to be good white folkses, kaze Ole Marster, he wuz Jedge Lumpkin, and de Jedge wuz bound to K.ake evvybody do right, and he gwine do right his own self f fore he try to tfake udder folkses behave deyselvs. Ainf t nobody, nowhar, as good to dey Negroes as my white folkses wuz." "Who taught you to say 'Negroes1 so distinctly?" she was asked. "Ole Marster," she promptly answered, "Ke 'splained dat us wuz not to be fshamed of our race. He said us warn1t no 1 niggers1; he said us wuz 'Negroes1, and he fspected his Negroes to be de best Negroes in de whole land. "Old llarster had a big fine gyarden. His Negroes wukked it good, and us wuz shof proud of it. Us lived close in town, and all de Negroes on de place wuz yard and house servants. Us didn't have no gyardens 'round our cabins, kaze all of us et at de big house kitchen. Ole Miss had flov/ers evvywhar fround de big house, 3-. 150 and she v/uz all time givinf us some to plant 'round de cabins# "All de cookin1 wuz done at de big house kitchen, and hit wuz a sho! fnough big kitchen* Us had tv/o boss cooks, and lots of helpers, and us sho* had plenny of good sompin* teat* Datfs de Gawd* s trufe, and I means it. Heap of folkses been tryin1 to git, me to say us didn1 t have fnough teat and dat us nsrer had nuffinf fittin1 teat* But ole as I is, I cyan1 start tellin1 no lies now. I gotter die fof long, and I sho1 wants to be clean in de mouf and no stains or lies on my lips when I dies. Our sompin1 teat wuz a heap better1 n what us got nov/. Us had plenny of evvy- thing right dar in de yard. Chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, tukkeys, and de smoke1 ouse full of good meat. Den de mens, dey v;uz all time goin1 huntin1 , and fetchin1 in wild tukkeys, an poddiges, and heaps and lots of * possums and rabbits• Us had many fishes as us wanted. De big fine shads, a.nd perch, and trouts; c dem wuz de fishes de Jedge liked IriOs, • Catfishes won1 t counted fittin1 to set on de Jedges table, but us Negroes wuz f lowed to eat all of fem us wanted. Catfishes mus! be mighty skace now kaze I don1 t know when ever I is seed a good ole riTer catfish a-flappin1 his tail. Jiey flaps dey tails atter you done kilt fem, and cleaned 'em, and drap fein in de hot grease to fry. Sometimes dey nigh knock de lid offen de fryin1 pan. 11 Ole Marster buyed Jill Finch down de country somewhar1 , and dey called him 'William1 at de big house. He wuz de tailor, and he =:.ade clofes for de young marsters. William v/uz right smart, and one of his joos v/uz to lock up all de vittals atter us done et much as us wanted. All of us had plenny, but dey won't nuffin1 wasted fround Ole Marster1 s place• 4*+ 4fc> *01e Hiss wuz young and pretty dem days, and Ole Marster won11 no old man den, but us had to call fem f01e Kiss,1 and f01e Marster,1 kaze dey chilluns wuz called rYoung Marster* and f Young Mistess1 f'um de very day dey wua born*11 When asked to describe the work assigned to little Negroes, she quickly answered: "Chilluns didn't do nuffin1 * Grownup Negroe^^^e_g^^ d.e wuk. All chilluns done wuz to frolic and^plaju. I wuz jesf 'lowed ter tote de keyjbasket kaze I wuz all time hangin1 rround de big house, and wanted so bad to stay close to iny 221a in de kitchen and to be nigh Ole Miss* "What sort of clofes did I wear in dem days? Why lady, I had good clo*es. Atter my little mistesses wore dey clofes a little, Ole Miss give ?em to me. la allus made me wear /clean, fresh clo'es, and go dressed iip good all de time so Ifd be fittin* to carry de key basket for Ole Miss. Some of de udder slave chilluns had homemade shoes, but I allus had good sto1 -bought shoes what my young mistess done outgrowed, or what some of de compfny gimme. Comprny what had chilluns fhout my size, gimme heaps of clofes and shoes, and some times dey didn't look like dey1 d been wore none hardly. "Ole Marster sho* had lots of Negroes fround his place. Deir wuz Aunt Charlotte, and Aunt Julie, and de two cooks, and Adeline, and Mary, and Sdie, and jCimmy. De mens wuz Oharlie, and Floyd, and William, and Daniel. I disremembers de res1 of *e®. tt01e Marster never whipped none of his Negroes, not dat I ever heared of. He tole fem what he wanted done, and give ^fem plenny of time to do it. Dey v/uz allus skeert effen dey didn* t 5.. 158 be smart and do right, dey might git sold to some marster dat would beat 'em, and "be mean to f em. Us knowed dey v/onf t many marsters as good to dey slaves as Ole Marster wuz to us. Us would of most kilt ourself wukkin' , fof us would of give him a reason to v/anna git rid of us. Ho Ma!am, Ole ISarater ain11 never sold no slave, not whilst I kin 'member. Us wuz allus skeert dat effen a Negro git lazy and triflin' he might git sold. f,lTo Negro never runned a.way f'um our place. Us didn't have nuffin1 to run f! urn, and nowhar to run to. Us heared of patterollers but us won11 f fraid none kaze us knov/ed won11 no patteroller gwine tech none of Jedge Luiapkinrs Negroes. "Us had our ov/n Negro church. I b'lieves dey calls it Foundry Street whar de ole church wuz. Us had meetin' ewy Sunday. Sometimes v/hite preachers, and sometimes Negro preachers done de preachin1 . Us didn1 t have no orgin or pianny in church den. De . preacher hysted de hymns. No Ma'am, I cyan1 fmember no songs us sung den dat wuz no diffunt f'um de songs now-a-days, f oeppen* dey got orgin music wid de singin1 now. Us had c1 lections evvy Sunday in church den, sa.me as now. Ole Marster give us a little change for cf lection on Sunday mawnin' kaze us didn't have no money of our own, and he knowed how big it cade us feel ter drap money in de cflection plats. Us Meferdis had our baptizinfs right dar in de church, same as us does now. And fvival meetin1s. Dey jes' broke out any time. Out on de plantations dey jesf had !vival r.'.ee tin's in layin1-by times, but here in town us had ' em all durin' de year. Ole Marster used ter say: 'Mo' 'vivals, better Negroes.' 6.. 159 "Evvybody oughter be good and jine de church, but dey sho1 oughtnft to jine effen dey still gwine to act like Satan* ffUs chillun -would git up long f f ore day ,Chris1 mas «:ia.wninf • Us used ter hang our stockinfs over de fire place, but when Chrisfmas mawnin1 cone dey wuz so full, hit would of busted fem to hang f em up on a nail, so dey wuz allus layin* on Ma1 s cheer when us wa.ked up* Us chillun wonVt flov/ed to go f round de big house early on Chrisfmas ma.wninf kaze us mought fsturb our v/hite folkses1 rest, and den dey done already seed dat us got plenny Santa Glaus in our own cabins. Us didn't know nuffin1 fbout ifew Years 3ay when I wuz chillun* "When any of his Negroes died Ole Mars ter wuz mighty extra good. He give plenny of time for a fun1 ral sermon in de afternoon. Mor *"> of de fun'rals wuz in de yard under de trees by de ca,bins. ^tter de sermon, us would go fcrost de hill to de Negro buyin1 ground, not far ffum whar our v/hite folkses wuz buried* MUs never bothered none !bout .Booker Washin1 ton, or Mister Lincum, or none of dem folkses fv/ay off dar kaze us had our raisin1 fHim de Lumpkins and dey! s de bes1 folkses dey is anywhar1 . Won11 no Mister Lincum or no Booker Washin1 ton gwine to help us like Ole Karster and us knowed dat good and plenny* nI cyan1 %member much f bout playin1 no special games fceppinf f01e Hundud.1 Us would choose one, and dat one would hide his face agin1 a 1?ree v/hilst he counted to a hundud. Den he would hunt for all de others. Dey done been hidin1 whilst he wuz count in1 . Us lamed to count a-playin1 f Ole Hundud1 . 7.. 160 rtHTo Malaia> us never went to no school f til atter de War. Den I went some at night. I wukked in de day time atter freedom come. My eyes bothered me so I didn*t go to. school much. "Yes Ma1 am, dey took nighty good care of us effen us got sick. Ole Marster would call in Doctor Moore or Doctor Carle ton and have us looked atter* De ! oiaans had extra good care when dey chilluns corned. f Til freedom come, I wuz too little to know much •bout dat myself, but Ma allus said dat Negro f omans and babies wuz looked atter better 'fore freedom come dan dey ever wuz anymo1 . ,fAtter de War wuz over, a big passel of Yankee mens come to our big house a.nd stayed. Dey et and slept dar, and dey b'haved powerful nice and perlite to all our white folkses, and dey ain't bother Jedge Lumpkin1s servants none. But den evvybody allris "behaved * round Jedge lumpkin1 s place. Ainf t nolaody gwine to be "brash f nough to do no devilment fround a Jedges place. wHit was long atter de *7ar ! fof I married. 1 cyan' •member nuffin1 fbout my weddin1 dress. fPears like to me I been married r.ios! all of my life. Us jes* went to de preacher man1 s house and got married. Us had eight chillun, but dey is all dead now fceppin' two; one son wukkin* way off ffuin her a, and ny daughter in Athens. ^1 knows I wuz fixed a heap better for de War, than I is now, but I sho* don't want no slavfry to come back. It would be fine effen evvy ITegro had a marster like Jedge Lumpkin, but dey won1t all dat sort. Anna leaned heavily on her cane as she answered the knock on the front door when we visited her home. "Come in," she in- vited, and led the way through her scrupulously tidy house to the back porch. 8" 161 "De sun feels good," she said* !,and it sorter helps my rheumatiz. My rheumatiz been awful bad lately. I loves to set here whar I kin see dat my ole hen and little chickens don't git in no mischief." A small bucket containing chicken food was con- veniently at hand, so she could scatter it on the ground to call her chickens away from depredations on the flovrers. A little mouse made frequent excursions into the bucket and helped himself to the cracked grains in the chicken food. "Don't mind him," she admon- ished, "he jes1 plays 'round my cheer all day, and don't bother nuf f in' .,f "You didn't tell anything about your brothers and sisters when you talked to me before," her visitor remarked. "Well* I jes1 couldn't 'member all at onct, but atter 1 got back home and rested up, I sot here and talked ter myself 'bout old times. My brudder Charles wuz de coachman what drove Ole Marster's carriage, and anudder brudder wuz Willie, and one wuz Floyd. My sisters wuz Jane and Harriet. 'Pears like to me dey wuz more of 'em, but some how I jes' cyan' 'member no more 'bout 'em. My husband wuz Grant Parkes and he tuk care of de gyardens and yards for de Lumpkins. "I had one chile named Caline, for Ole Miss. She died a baby. My daughter Fannie done died long time ago, and my daughter Liza, she wuks for a granddaughter of Ole Miss. I means, Liza wuks for Mister jSddie Lumpkin's daughter. 1 done plum clear forgot who Mister Eddie's daughter married* "I jes1 cyan' recollec' whar my boy, Floyd, stays. You oughter know, Lady, hits de town v/har de President lives. Yes 9.. 1Q2 Ma'am, H7ashinfton, dats de place whar my Floyd is* I got one more son, "but I done plum forgot his name ,and v/har he wuz las1 time I heared f' urn him.- I don* t know if he1 s livin' or dead.- It shof is Dad to git so old you cyan1 tell de names of yof chilluns straight off v/idout havin1 to stop and study, and den you cyan1 allus 'member. "I done been studyin1 fbout de war times, and I fmembers dat Ole Marster v/uz mighty troubled fbout his Negroes when he heared a big crowd of Yankee sojers v/uz comin1 to Athens. i?olkses done "been say in1 de Yankees v/ould pick out de bes' Negroes and take !era fway v/id fem, and dere v/uz a heap of talk 'bout de scandlous v/ay dem Yankee sojers been treatin1 Negro f omans and gals. fFore dey got here, Ole Marster sont mos'^of_his oes^ Negroes to Augusta to git f em out of danger ff urn de Jed'rals. Howsome-ever de Negroes dat he kept v/id* f iin won't bothered none, kaze dem ?edfrals •spected de Jedge and didn11 do no harm 'round his place* ,fIn Augusta, I stayed on Greene Street v/id a white lady named Mrs. Broome. No Ma'am, I nebber done no v/uk. I jes1 played and frolicked, and had a good time v/id Mrs. i3roomefs babies. She s'ho1 v/uz good to me. Ma, she vmkked for a Negro ! oman named I.Irs. Kemp, and lived in de house v/id her. "Ole Liarster sont for us atter de war v/uz over, and us v/uz mighty proud to git back home. Times had done changed 'when us got back. Hos1 of Ole Marster's money v/uz gone, and he couldn't take keer of so many Negroes, so Ma moved over near de gun fact'ry and started takin1 in v/ashin' . MDe wust bother Negroes had dem days wuz findin' a place to live. /Houses had to be built for 'em, and dey won't no money to build *em wid* 10 .. 163 mQm night, jesf atter I got in "bed, some mens come walkin* right in Ifc's house widout knocking I jerked de kiwer up over ray head quick, and tried to hide. One of de mens axed Ha who she wuz. Ma knowed his voice, so she said: fYou knows me Mister Blank,1 (she called him by his sho1 fnuff name) fIrm Liza Lumpkin, and you knows I used to b'long to Jedge Lumpkin.1 De udders jesf laughed at him and said* fBoy, she knows you, so yqu better not say nuffin1 else.* Den anudder man axed la how she wuz makin* a livin*. Ma knowed his voice too., aiid she called him by name and tole him us wuz takinf in washin1 and livinf all right. Dey laughed at him too, and den anudder one axed her sompin1 and ' she called his name when she answered him too. Den de leader say, f3oys, us better git out of here. These here hoods and robes ain11 doin1 a bit of good here. She knows evf ry one of us and can tell our names.1 Den dey went out laughin* fit to kill, and dat wuz de onliest time de Ku Kluxers ever wuz at our house, leastways us srposed dey wuz Ku Kluxers. HI don*t fmember much fbout no wuk atter freedom fceppinf de wash tub. Maw larned me how to wash and iron. She said: fSome day I111 be gone ffum dis world, and you won't know nuffin1 '"bout . takin1 keer of yofself, lessen you larn right now.1 I wuz mighty proud when I could do up a weeks washin* and take it back to my white folkses and git sho1 *nuff money for my wuk. . I felt like I wuz a grown foman den. It wuz in dis same yard dat Ea larned me to wash. At fust Ma rented dis place. There wuz another house here den. Us saved our washin1 money and bought de place, and dis is de last of three houses on dis spot* Swy cent spent on dis place wuz made by takin1 in washin1 and de most of it wuz made washin' for Mister Eddie Lumpkin*s family. /' j / . ! 1 .-*'.* ;.i;^i ¦¦— ii*. *Beaps of udder Hegroes wuz smart like Ma, and dey got along all right. Dese days de young foUeses donrt try so hard* Things comes lots easier for fem, and dey got lots better chances dan us had, but dey don11 pay no ftention to nuffinr but spendin1 all dey got, evvy day. Boys is wuss'en gals. Long time ago I done give all I got to my daughter* She takes keer of me. Effen de roof leaks, she has it looked atter. She wuks and meks our livin1 . I didn't want nobody to show up here atter I die and take nuffin1 away ffum her. *I ain1 never had no hard times. I allus been treated good and had a good livin1 • Course de rheumatiz done got me right bad, but I is still able to git about and tend to de house while my gal is off at wuk. I wanted to wash today, but I couldn*t find no soap. My gal done hid de soap, kaze she say I* se too old to do my own washin1 and she wanter wash my clofes herse'f.* In parting, the old woman said rather apologetically, "I couldn't tell you fbout no shof fnuff* hard times, ictter de War I wukked hard, but I ain't never had no hard times11. lOOi.74 4s 3? "A TALK WITH G. W. PATIILLO EI-SLAVE." Submitted by Minnie B. Ross Typed by J. C. Russell 1-22-3? 165 3or-l/2£/37 Talk with ex-slave Ross 166 100174 a, w# pjlttiiio In the shelter provided by the Department of Public Welfare, lives an old Negro, G. W. Pattillo, who was born in Spaulding County, Griffin, Ga., in the year 1852. His parents, Harriett and Jake Pattillo, had twelve children, of whom' he was the second youngest. Their master was Mr. T. J. Ingram. How- ever, they kept the name of their old master, Mr. Pattillo. Master Ingram, as he was affectionately called by his slaves, was considered a "middle class man," who owned 100 acres of land, with one family of slaves, and was more of a track far- mer than a plantation owner. He raised enough cotton to supply the needs of his family and his slaves and enough cattle to furnish food, but his main crops were corn, wheat, potatoes and truck* With a few slaves and a small farm, Master Ingram was very lenient and kind to his slaves ani usually worked with them in the fields. "We had no special time to begin or end the work for the day. If he got tired he would say, 'Alright, boys, let's stop and rest,1 and sometimes we didn't start working until late in the day." Pattillo's mother was cook and general house servant, so well thought of by the Ingram family that she managed the house as she saw fit and planned the meals likewise. Young Pattillo was considered a pet by everyone and hung around the mistress, since she did not have any children of her own. His job was to - 2 - jcr-l/22/37 I*!* with ex-slave Ross 167 hand her the soissors and thread her needles. "I was her special pet," said Pattillo, "and oy youngest brother was the master's special pet." Mr. and Mrs. Ingram never punished the children, nor allowed anyone bat their parents to do so • If the boy became unruly, Mrs. Ingram would oall his mother and say, "Harriett, I think G-. W. needs to be taken down a button hole lower •" The master's house, called the "Big House,n was a two- story frame structure consisting of 10 rooms* Although not a mansion, it was fairly comfortable. Ihe home provided for Pat- tillo fs family was a three-room frame house furnished comfort- ably with good home-made furniture. Pattillo declared that he hid never seen anyone on the Ingram Plantation punished by the owner, who n9rer allowed the "paterrollers" to punish them either* Master Ingram placed signs at different points on his plantation which read thus: "Paterrollers, Fishing and Hunting Prohibited on this Plantation•" It soon became know by all that n ~tE5~ Ingram slaves were not given passes by their owner to go any plaoe, consequently they were known as "Old Ingram»s Free Biggers." Master Ingram could not write, but would tell his slaves to inform anyone who wished to know, that they belonged to J* D. Ingram. "Once," said Pattillo, "my brother Willis, who was known for his gambling and drinking, left our plantation and no one knew where he had gone. As we sat around a big open fire cracking walnuts, Willis came up, jumped off his horse and fell to the ground. Directly behind him rode a *paterroiler•' She master jumped up and commanded him to turn around and leave his - 3 - 3cr-l/22/37 Talk with ex-slave Ross premises. The 'Paterroiler1 ignored his warning and advanced still farther. The master then took his rifle and shot him. He fell to the ground dead and Master Ingram said to his wife, 'Well, lacy, I guess the next time I speak to that scoundrel he will take heed.1 The master then saddled his horse and rode into town. Very soon a wagon came back and moved the body." The cotton raised was woven into cloth from which their clothing was made. :'We had plenty of good clothing and food," Pattlllo continued. "The smokehouse was never locked and we had free access to the whole house. We never knew the meaning of a key." Master Ingram was very strict about religion and attending Church. It was customary for everyone to attend the 9 o'clock prayer services at his home every night. The Bible was read by the distress, after which the master would oondaot prayer. Child- ren as well as grownups were expected to attend. On Sundays, everybody attended church. Separate Churches were provided for the Hegroes, with White and Colored preachers conducting the services. White Deacons were also the Deacons of the Colored Churches and a oolored man was never appointed deacon of a Church. Only white ministers were priviliged to give the sacra- ment and do the baptizing. Their sermons were of a strictly re- ligious nature, When a preacher was unable to read, someone was appointed to read the text. The preacher would then build his sermon from it. Of coarse, daring the conference period, colored as well as white ministers were privileged to make the appoint- ments. The Negroes never took up collections bat placed their money in an envelope and passed it in. It was their own money, - 4 - jcr-l/22/37 falk with ex-slave Ross i earned with the master's consent, by selling apples, eggs, chickens, etc. Concerning marriages, Pattillo believes in marriages as they were in the olden days. "Ef two people felt they waz made for each other, they waz united within themselves when they done git the master's 'greement, then live together as man and wife, an* that was all. Now, you. got to boy a license and pay the preacher." Loss of life among slaves was a calamity and if a doctor earned a reputation for losing his patients, he might as well seek a new community. Often his downfall would begin by some such comment as, "Dr. Brown lost old man Ingram's niggtat John. He's no good and I don't intend to use him." She valae of slaves varied from $500 to #10,000, depending on his or her special qualifications. Tradesmen such as blacksmiths, shoe makers, carpenters, etc., were seldom sold under $10,000. Rather than sell a tradesman slave, owners kept them in order to make money by hiring them oat to other owners for a set sum per season. However, before the deal was closed the lessee would have to sign a contract which assured the slave's owner that the slave would receive the best of treatment while in possession. Pattillo remembers hearing his parents say the Borth and South, had disagree! and Abraham Lincoln was going to free the slaves. Although he never saw a battle fought, there were days when he sat and watched the long line of soldiers passing,miles and miles of them. Master Ingram did not enlist bat remained - 5 - jcr-l/22/37 lalk with ex-slave Ross ±?() at home to take care of his family and his possessions* After the war ended, Master Ingram called his slaves to- gether and told the* of their freedom, saying, "Mr. Lincoln whipped the South and we are going back to the Union. You are as free as I am and if you wish to remain here you may. If not, you may go any place you wish* I am not rich but we can work together here for &oth our families, snaring everything we raise egually." Pattillo's family remained there until 1870. Some owners kept their slaves in ignorance of their freedom. Others were kind enough to offer them homes and help them to get a start. After emancipation, politics began to play a part in the lives of ex-slaves, and many werejapproaohed by candidates who wanted to buy their votes. Pattillo tells of an old ex-slave owner named Greeley living in Upson County who bought an ex- slaves vote by giving him as payment a ham, a sack of flour and a place to stay on his plantation. After election, he ordered the ex-slave to get the wagon, load it with his possessions and move away from his plantation. Astonished, the old Negro asked why. "Because," replied old G-reeley, "If you allow anyone to buy your vote and rob you of your rights as a free citizen, someone could hire you to set my nouse on fire." Pattillo remebers slavery gratefully and says he almost wishes these days were back again. 100086 # . 171 >* .*> EX-SLAVS INTERVIEW AL2C POPS 1345 Rockspring Street Athens, Georgia Written by* Sadie x>. Hornsby Federal Writers' Project Athens, (j-a. Edited by: Sarah H. Hall Athens and John N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers' Project Augusta, Ga. April 28, 1938 00086 172 ALEC POPE Kx-Slave - Age 84. Athens, Georgia* Alec lives with his daughter, Ann Whitworth. When asked if he liked to talk about his childhood days, he answered: r,Yes Ma'am, but is you one of dem pension ladies?" The negative re- ply was an evident disappointment to Alec, but it did not hinder his narrative: HWell, I wuz born on de line of Clarke and Ogl&thorpe Counties, way down de country. Celia and Willis Pope wuz my ma and pa. Lawdy! Mistress, I don't know whar dey come f'uia; 'peers lak pa! s fust Marster wuz named Pope. I>at's de onlies1 last name I ever ricollec1 us havin1. rtDere wuz a passel of us chillun. Ify sisters wuz Sallie, Phebie Ann, Nelia, and Millie. My brudders wuz Anderson, Osoorn, George> Robert, Squire, Jack, and Willis. Willis wuz named for pa and us nicknamed f im Tuck. MDa slave quarters wuz little log houses scattered here and dar. Some of fem had two rooms oh de fust flo1 and a loft up fbove whar de boys most genially slep' and de gals slep1 downstairs. I don't 'member nothin1 tfall fbout what us done fcept scrap lak chilluns will do. '•Ohl I ain't forgot 'bout dem beds. Dey used cords for springs, and de cords run f urn head to foot; den day wove 'em 'cross de bed 'til dey looked lak checks. Whea;t straw wuz sewed up 2* 173 in ticks for mattresses. When you rolled fro*ind on one of dem straw mattresses, de straw crackled and sounded lak rain. Ho Ma'am, I don't know nothin' fall fbout my gran1 pa and gran1ma. •I wuz de reg'lar water boy, and 1 plowed some too# 1 Course dere wuz so many on dat plantation it tuk morefn one boy to tote de water. Money? dis Migger couldn11 git no money in dem days. "Us sho1 had plenty somepin1 t'eat, sich as meat, and cornbread, and good old wheat bread what wuz made out of seconds. Jere wuz lots of peas, corn, cabbage, Irish ftatoes, sweet ftatoes, and chickens, spmetimes» Yes Mafam, sometimes. I laks coffee, but us Niggers didn11 have much coffee. Dat wuz for de white folkses at de big house. Cookin1 wuz done in de fireplace in great big spiders/ Some of de biggest of de spiders wuz called ovens. Dey put coals of fire underneath and more coals on top of de lid* Ma baked "bread and 1 taters in de ashes. In winter she put de dough in a collard leaf so it wouldn't bum. In summer green corn shucks wuz wrapped fround de dough !stid of collard leaves* All de fish and fpossums and rabbits us had wuz cotch right dar on Old Marfeter's place, fcause if one of our Higgers got cotch offen our place hit wuz jes' too bad. I sho! does love fpossum, and us had lots of 'em, 'cause my brudder used to ketch 'em by de wholesale wid a'dog he had, and dat same Jog vmz a powerful goad rabbit hound too. gUs had pretty good clothes most all de year 'round. In summer, shirts, and pants wuz ir?ade out of coarse cotton cloth. Sometimes de pants wuz dyed gray. Winter time us had better clothes made out of yarn and us allus had good Sunday clothes. 'Course I wua jes1 a plow boy den and now I done forgot lots f bout how things looked. Our shoes wuz jes1 common brogans, no diff* unt on Sunday, 3. 174 fceppinf de Nigger boys what wuz shinin1 up to de gals cleaned up deir shoes dat day. "Our Marster wuz Mr. Mordecai Edfards. Well, he wuz pretty good - not too good. He tried to make you do right, but if you didn11 he would give you a good brushin1 . Miss Martha, Old Marster1 s old f oman, warn11 good as Old Marster, but she done all right. Dey had a heap of chillun: Miss Susan, Miss Mary, Miss Callie, Miss Alice, and it fpeers to^iae lak dere wuz two mof gals, "out I can't f call fem now, Ben dere wuz some boys: Marse Billy, Marse Jim, Marse John, Marse Prank, and Marse Howard* Marse Prank Jd'ards lives on Milledge Avenue now. tt01d Marster and Old Mist1ess lived in a great big fine house what looked to me lak one of dese big hotels does now. i:arse_Jack gdfards wuz de fust overseer I can ricollec1 . He wuz kin to Old Marster. Marster had two or three mo1 overseers at difffunt times, but I don11 ricollec1 dey names. Dare wuz two carriage drivers« Henry driv(de gals f round and Albert wuz Old Mistressf driver. Old, marster had his own hoss and buggy, and most of de time he driv for hisself, but he allus tuk a little Nigger boy fatamed Jordan flong to help him drive and to hold de hoss. "Lawdyt Mist1 ess, I couldn't rightly say how many acres wuz in dat plantation* I knowed he had two plantations wid fine houses on * em. He jes1 had droves and droves of diggers and v/hen dey got scattered out over de fields, day looked lak blackbirds dere wuz so many. Yost see I wuz jes1 a plow boy and didn1 t know nothin1 fbout figgers and countin1 . "De overseer got us up *bout four of clock in de *• 175 raornin1 to feed de stock. Den us et* Us allus stopped off by dark* Last1 ess derefs a old sayin1 dat you had to brush a digger in deia days to make fem do right* Dey brushed us if us lagged in de field or cut up de cotton* Dey could allus find some fault wid us* Marster brushed us some time, but de overseer most gen1 ally done it. I ! members dey used to make de f oiaans pull up deir skirts gind brushed ! em wid a horse whup or a hickory; dey done de mens de same v/ay fcept dey had to take off deir shirts and pull deir pants down. luggers shof would holler when dey got brushed. * Jails1* Yes Ma1 am, dey had fem way down in Lexin* ton. You know some Niggers gwine steal anyhow, and dey put 'em in dere for dat mostly. I didn11 never see nobody sold or in chains. De only chains I ever seed wuz on hosses and plows* "Mist1 ess, Niggers didn*t have no time to larn to read in no Bible or no thin1 lak dat in slavey time. Us went to \ church wid de white folkses if us wanted to, but us warn11 fbleeged to go. De white folkses went to church at Cherokee Corner. Dere warn11 no special church for Niggers f til long atter de War when dey built one out nigh de big road. ^Some of de Niggers run away to de Nawth - some d$y got back, some dey didnft. Dem patterollers had lots of fun if dey cotch a Nigger, so dey could brush fim to hear * im holler. De onlies1 trouble 1 ever heard fbout twixt de whites and blacks wuz when a Nigger sassed a white man and de white man shot f im. Hf it served dat Nigger right, fcause he oughta knowed better dan to sass a white man. De trouble ended ?/id dat shot. 5. 176 ^De most Niggers ever done for a good time wuz to have little parties wid heaps of fidlin1 and dancin1 • On Sunday nights dey would have prayer meeting. Dem patterollers would come and break our prayer nsetin1 s up and brush us if dey cotch us. ,lChrisfmas v/uz soraepin* else. Us had awful good times den, ! cause de white folkses at de big house give us plenty of goodies for Chris1 mas week and us had fidlin1 and dancinf . Us would ring up de gals and run all T round f em playin1 dem ring-1 round-de- rosie games. Us had more good times at corn shuckin's, and Old ]viarster allus had a little toddy to give us den to make us wuk faster. "Oh! No Ma'am, I don! t !member nothin1 fbout what us 2/la ye d when I v/uz a little chap, and if I ever knowed anything '"bout -iav/head and Bloody Bones and sich lak I done plumb forgot it now. .jut I do know Old Marster and Old Mist'ess sho! wuz powerful good when aey Niggers got sick. Dey put a messenger boy on a mule and sont f im for Dr. Hudson quick, f cause to lose a Nigger wuz losin1 a good piece of property. Some Niggers wore some sort of beads f round cleir necks to keep sickness av/ay and dat! s all I calls to mind ' bout dat charm business. "I v/uz jes1 a plow boy so I didn1 t take in f oout de surrender• De only thing I ricollects fbout it wuz when Old Marster t Id my pa and ma us v/uz free and didn't belong to him no more. He said he couldn't brush de grov/n folks no more, but if dey wanted to stay v/id ! im dey could, and dat he would brush dey chilluns if dey iidn1 t do right. Ma told f im he warn1 t gwine brush none of her chilluns no rnore^ 6. 177 "Us lived wid Old Marster fbout a year, den pa moved up on de big road. Buy land? No Maraia, BTiggers didn11 have no iDoney to buy no land wid f til dey made it* I didn't take in 'bout Mr. Lincoln, only dat thoo1 hia us wuz sot free. I heard fem say Mr. Javis wuz de President of de South, and fbout Booker Washin* torn some of de Niggers tuk him in, but I didn11 bodder 'bout him. "lawdyl Mist!ess, I didn't marry de fust time ! til long atter de War, and now I done "been married three times. I had a awful big weddin1 de. fast time. De white man what lived on de big road not far f*urn us said he never seed sich a weddin1 in his life* Us drunk and et, and danced and cut de buck most all night long. Most all my chilluns is dead. I Vlieve my fust v/ife had 10 or 11 chilluns. I know I had a passel fust and last; and jes1 to tell you de trufe, dere jes1 ain11 no need to stop and try to count de grand chilluns. All three of my wives done daid and Ifm lookin* for anudder one to take keer of me now. "Why did I jine de church? fCause I jes1 think evvybody oughta jine if dey wanna do right so1 se dey can go to Ileben. I feels lak a difffunt man since I done jined and I knows de Lord has done forgive me for all my sins* ^Mis^ess ain! t you thoo1 axin* me questions yit? Anyhow I wuz thinkin1 you wuz one of dem pension ladies*11 When he was told that the interview was completed, Alec said: "I shof is glad, 'cause I feels lak takin1 a little nap atter. I eat dese pecans what I got in my pocket* Goodbye Mist1ess." . . • • 7. vjhitley, ^"",<- ^ Briskell. ? 1-.0-37 — ±78 1002SQ SLAVERY AS WITNESSED BY ANNIE ERIQE £? Mrs. Annie Price was born in Spaulding County, Georgia October 12, 1855. Although only a mere child when freedom was declared she is able to relate quite a few events in her own life as well as some of the experiences of other slaves who lived in the same vicinity as she. Her mother and father Abe and Caroline were owned by a young married couple named Kennon. (When this couple were married Abe and Caroline had been given as wedding presents by the bridefs and the groom1 s parents). Besides her parents there four brothers and five sisters all of whom were younger than she with one exception. The first thing that she remembers of her mother is that of seeing her working in the "Karster's" kitchen* Mr. Kennon was described as being a rather young man who was just getting a start in life. His family consisted of his wife end about five children* He was not a mean individual. The plantation,on which he lived was a small one, having been given to him by his father (whose plantation adjoined) in order to give him a start. Mr# Kennon owned one other slave besides Mrs* Price and her family while his father owned a large number some of whom he used to lend to the younger Mr. Kennon* Cotton and all kinds of vegetables were raised. There was' also some live stock. As Mr. Kennon owned only a few slaves it was necessary for these few persons to do all of the work. Says Mrs. Price: tT£y mother had to do everything from cultivating cotton to cooking.n The same was true of her father and the other servant. Before the break of day each morning they were all called to prepare for the dayfs work, Mrs. Price then told how she has seen the men of her plantation and those of the adjoining one going Page 2. ..^ Tvhitley, Briskell. A'» 1-20-37 to the fields at this unearthly hour eating their breakfast while sitting astride the back of a mule. After her mother had finished cooking and cleaning the house she was sent to the field to help the men* When it was too dark to see all field hands were permitted to return to their cabins. This same routine was followed each flay except Sundays when they were permitted to do much as they pleased. VJhen the weather was too bar! for field work they shelled corn and did other types of work not requiring too much exposure. Holidays were unheard of on the Kennon plantation. As a little slave girl the only work that Mrs. Price ever had to do was to pick up chips and bark for her mother to cook with. The rest of the time was spent in playing with the "Marsterfsn little girls. The servants on our plantation always had a plenty of clothes con- tinued Mrs. Price, while those on the plantation next to ours (Mrs. Kennonfs father never had enough, especially in the winter. This clothing was given when it was needed and not at any specified time as was the case on some of the other plantations in that community* All of t ese articles were made on the plantation and the materials that were mostly used were homespun (which was also woven on the premises) woolen goods, cotton goods and calico. It has been mentioned before that the retinue of servants was small in number and so for this reason all of them had a reasonable smount of those clothes that had been discarded by the master and the mistress. After the leather had been cured it was taken to the Tannery where crude shoes called "Twenty Grands* were made. These shoes often caused the wearer no little amount of dis- comfort until they were thoroughly broken in. For bedding, homespun sheets were used. The quilts and blankets were made from pieced cotton material along with garments that were unfit for further wear. T/henever it was necessary to dye any of these articles a type of dye made by boiling the bark from trees was used. Page 3* £g<) VMtley, Briskell* 1-20-37 In the same manner that clothing was plentiful so was there always enough food. Ifllhen Mrs, Price was asked if the slaves oxvned by Mr. Kennon were permitted to cultivate a garden of their own she stated that they didfit need to do this because of the fact that Mr. Kennon raised everything that v/as necessary and they often had more than enough* Their week-day diet usually consisted of fried meat, grits, syrup and corn bread for breakfast; vegetables, pot liquor or milk, and corn bread for dinner; and for supper there was milk and bread or ftied meat and bread* On Sunday they were given a kind of flour commonly known as the "seconds" frcra which biscuits were made* "Sometime3", continued Mrs* Price", my mother brought us the left-overs from the master*s table and this v/as usually a meal by itself"* In addition to this Mr. Kennon allowed hunting as well as fishing and so on many days there were fish and roast fpossum* Food on the elder Mr. Kennon plantation was just as scarce as it was plentiful on his son's. ?ihen asked how she knew about this Mrs. Price told how she had seen her father take meat from his masterf* smoke house and hide it so that he could give it to those slaves who invaribly slipped over at night in search of food. The elder Mr. Kennon had enough food but he was too mean to see his slaves enjoy themselves by having full stomachs. All cooking on Mrs. Price1 s plantation was done by her mother*. All of the houses on the Kennon plantation were made of logs in- cluding that of Mr. Kennon himself. There were only two visible differences in the dwelling places of the slaves and that of Mr. Kennon and there were (1) several rooms instead of the one room allowed the slaves and (2) weatherboard was used on the inside to keep the weather out while the slaves used mud to serve for this purpose. In these crude one-roomed houses (called stalls) there was a bed made of some rough wood* Hope tied from Page 4. VJhltley, 181 1-20-37 • side to side served as the springs for the mattress which was a bag filled with straw and leaves. There were also one or two boxes which were used as chairs • The chimney was made of rocks and mud* All cooking was done here at the fireplace* Mrs. Price says; "Even Old Marster didfnt have a stove to cook on so you know we did'nt." The only available light was that furnished by the fire. Only one family was allowed to a cabin so as to prevent overcrowding. In addition to a good shingle roof each one of these dwellings had a board floor. All floors were of dirt on the plant- ation belonging to the elder Mr. Kennon* A doctor was employed to attend to those persons who were sick« However he never got chance to practice on the Kennon premises as there was never any serious illnessf Minor cases of sickness were usually treated by giving the patient a dose of castor oil or several doses of some form of home made medicine which the slaves made themselves from roots that they gathered in the woods. In order to help keep his slaves in good health Mr* Kennon required them to keep the cabins they occupied and their sur- roundings clean at all times. Mrs. Price said that the slaves had very few amusements and as far as she can remember she never saw her parents indulge in any form of play at all. She remembers, however, that on the adjoining plantation the slaves often had frolics where they sang and danced far into the night* These frolics were not held very often but were usually few and far between* As there was no church on the plantation Mr. Kennon gave them a pass on Sundays so that they could attend one of the churches that the town afforded. The sermons they heard were preached by a white preacher and on rare occasions by a colored preacher. VJhenever the colored pastor preached -yie there were several white persons present to see thatyrtflfe doctrine save that laid dovm by them should he preached. All of the marrying on both plantations Page 5. j[Qp ;/hit ley, IXriskell w 1-20-37 Mr. Kennon gave them a pass on Sundays so that they could attend one of the churches that the town afforded. The sermons they heard were preached by a white preacher and on rare occasions by a colored preacher* Whenever the colored pastor preached there were several white persons present to see that no doctrine save that laid down by them should be preached* All of the marrying on both plantations was done by a preacher. It has been said that a little learning is a dangerous thing and this certainly was true as far as the slaves were concerned.according to Mrs. Price. She says: "If any of us were ever caught with a book we would get a good whipping." Because of their great fear of such a whipping none of them ever attempted to learn to read or to write. As ageneral rule Mrs. Price and the other nembers of her family were always treated kindly by the Kennon family. None of them were ever whipped or mistreated in any way. L!rs. Price says that she has seen slaves on the adjoining plantation whipped until the blood ran# She describes the sight in the following manner. f*The one to be whipped was tied across a log or to a tree and then his shirt was dropped around his waist and he was lashed with a cow hide whip until his back was raw. dippings like these were given when a slave was unruly or disobedient or when he ran away. Before a runaway slave could be whipped he had to be caught and the chief way of doing this was to put the blood hounds (known to the slaves as "nigger houndsw) on the fugitive's trail. iJrs. Price once saw a man being taken to his master after he had been caught by the dogs. She says that his skin was cut and torn in any number of places and he looked like one big macs of blood. Her father once ran away to escape a whipping. (thi3 was during the Civil War)f and he was able to elude the dogs as well a3 his human pursuers. \flien asked about the final outcane of this escape Mrs. Price replied that her father remained in Page 6# a oo TKhitley, Briskell xo° 1-20-37 hiding until the war was ever with and then he was able to show himself without any fear# She has also seen slaves being whipped by a group of white men when her parents said were the "Paddie-Rollers". It was their duty to whip those slaves who were caught away from their respective plantations without a "pass", she was told* According to Mrs, Price the jails were built for the "white folksw, ?Jhen a slave did something wrong his master punished him. She doesfnt remember anything about the beginning of the Civil War neither did she understand its significance until Mr, Kennon died as a result of the wounds that he received while in action. This impressed itself on her mind indelibly because Mr, Kennon was the first dead person she had ever seen. The Yankee troops dldfnt come near their plantation and so they had a plenty of food to satisfy their needs all during the war. Even after the war was over there was still a plenty of all the necessities of life. When Mrs, Kennon informed them that they were free to go or to stay as they pleased, Eev father, who had just cone out of hiding, told Mrs* Kennon that he did not want to remain on the plantation any longer than it was necessary to get his family together. He said that he wanted to get out to himself so that he could see how it felt to be free. Mrs, Price says that as young as she was she felt very happy because the yoke of bondage was gone and she knew that she could have a privele^gs like everybody else. And 30 she and her family moved a^ray and her father began farming for himself. Sis was n nrnnJiintiod prospeiAljp until his death, ivfter she left the plant- ation of her birth she lived with her father until she became a grown woman and then she married a Mr. Price who was also a farmer. Page 7# '.Jhitley, Criskell 181 1-20-37 Mrs. Price believes that she has lived to reach such a ripe old age because she has always served God and because she always tried to obey those older than she# ^^^^^ i. KBW FACTS OP SLAOTRX BT •£ fy-j I ft A 2. *2_*7 CHARLIE PYE - Ex-Slave. ( The writer v/as much surprised to learn that the person whom she was about to interview was nine years old when the Civil War ended* His youthful appearance at first made her realize that probably he was not an ex-slave after all. Yery soon she learned differently. Another surprise followed the first in that his memory of events during that period was very hazy. The fev; facts learned are related as follows: Mr* Charlie Pye was born in Columbus, Ga., 1856 and was the ninth child of his parents, Tom Pye and Enimaline Highland* Tom Pye, the father, belonged to Volantine Pye, owner of a plantation in Columbus, Ga* known as the Lynch and Pye Plantation*) Mr., Pyefs mistress was Miss Mary 3alqr, who later Married a Mr* TJatts* viss Ealey owned a large number of slaves, although she did not own a very large plantation* Quite a fe\yx>f her slaves were hired out to other owners* The workers? on the plantation were divided into two or more groups, each group having a different job to do* For instance, there were the plow hands, hoe hands, log cutters, etc* Mr. Pyefs mother was a plow hand and besides this, she often had to cut logs* Mr. Pye was too young to work and spent most of his time playing around the yards* Houses on the Saley plantation were.built of pine poles after which the cracks were filled with red mud* Most of these houses consisted of one »om; however, a few were built with two rooms to accommodate the larger families* The beds, called ''bunks" by Mr/ Pye were nailed to the sides of the room* Hoped bottoms covered v/ith a mattress of burlap and hay served to complete this structure called a bed* Benches and a home made table completed the furnishings. There were vary few if any real chairs found in the slave homes* The houses and furniture were built by skilled Negro carpenters \&o were hired bv the mistress from other slave owners. A kind slave owner would allow a a* 186 a skilled person to hire his own time and keep most of the pay which he earned. Plenty of food was raised on the Baley plantation, but the slave familiea were restricted to the same diet of corn meal, syrup, and fat bacon* Children were fed "pot likkar*, milk and bread from poplar trougis, f*cm which they ate ^vith wooden spoons* Grown-ups ate with wooden forks* Slaves were not allowed to raise gardens of their own, although Mr.- Pyefs uncle was given the privilege ct owning a rice patch, which he worked at night* In every slave home was found a wooden loom which was operated by hands and feet, and from which the cloth for their clothing w%s made* When the work in the fields was finished women were required to come home and spin one cut (thread) at night* Those who were not successful in comply ting this work were punished the next morning* Men wore cotton shirts and pants which were dyed different colors vrith red oak bark, altua and coppeir* Copper produced an * Indigo blue color." I have often watched dye in the process of being made, remarked Mr. Pye. Mr. Pye's father was a shoemaker and made all shoes needed on the plantation* The hair was removed from the hides by a process known as tanning. * Red oak bark was often used for it produced an acid which proved very effective in tanning hides* Slaves ,/ere given shoes every three months* To see that everyone continued working an overseer rode over the plantation keeping check on the workers* If any person was caught resting he was given a sound whipping* Mr* Pye related the following incident which happened on the Ealey plantation* ,fA young colored girl stopped to rest fox* a few minutes and my uncle stopped also and spoke to her* During tills conversation the overseer came up and began whipping the girl with a "sapling tree** Mar uncle becqpe very angiy and picked up an axe and hit the overseer in the head, killing him* The mistress was very fond of my uncle and kept him hid until she could "run him*" Running a slave waa the method they used in sending a slave to another state in order that he could escape punishment and be sold again* Tou were only given this privilege if it so heppened that you were eared for by your mistress and master* * 187 Overseers on the Saley plantation were very cruel and whipped slaves unmercifully* Another incident related by Mr. pye was as follows: "15y mother resented being whipped and would run away to the woods and often remained as long as twelve months at a time, Tfhen the strain of staying away from her family became too great, she would return home. No sooner would she arrive than the old overseer would tie liar to a peach tree and whip her again* The whipping was done by a "Nigger Driver fw *io followed the overseer around with a bull whip* especially for this purpose. The laygest man on the plantation was chosen to be the "Nigger Driver." "Every slave had to attend church, although there were no separate churches provided for them. However., they were allowed to occupy the benches which were placed in the rear of the church. To attend cfiurch on another plantation, slaves had to get a pass or suffer punishment from the "Pader Rollers.* (Patrollers) "We didn't marry on our plantation", remarked Mr. Pye. After getting the consent of both masters the couple jumped the broom, and that ended the so called ceremony. Following the marriage there was no frolic or celebration. "Sometimes quilting parties were held in the various cabins on the plantation. Everyone would assist in making the winter bed covering for one family one night and i the next night for some other faiily, and so on until everyone had sufficient bed covering. "A doctor was only called yfaen a person tod almost reached the last stages of illness. Illness was often an excuse to remain away from the field. "Blue mass pills, castor oil, etc.were icept for minor aches and pains. When a slave died he was buried as quickly as a box could be nailed together. "I often heard of people refugeeing during the Civil War period, remarked Mr. Pye. In fact, our mistress refugeed to Alabama trying to avoid meeting the Yanks, but tfeeR came in another direction. On one occasion the Yairiks came to our plantation, took all the best mules and horses, after which theyeame to my mot her fs cabin and made her coofc eggs for then. They kept so much noise singing, *• fH8 f,I wish I was in Pixie" that I could not*'sleep. After freedom we were loept in ignorance for qtxite a while but when we learned the truth ray mother was glad to i;iove away with us. "Inmediately after the war ex-slave families worked for one-tMrd and one-fourth of the crops raised on different plantations. Years later families were given one-half of the crops raised. fw I-.tr* Pye ended the interview by telling the writer that lie married at the age of 35 years and was the father of two children, one of ^hom is living. He is a Baptist, belonging to Mount zion Church, and has attended church regularly and relieves that by leading a clean, useful life he has lengthened his days on this earth. During his lifetime Mr. Pye followed railroad work. Recently, however, he has had to give this up because of his health* 37*^/ SUBJECT:....................... CHARLOTTE RAINES - OGLETHOKPE CO. DISTRICT:......................W. P. A. NO. 1 KESEARCH -VORKER:...............JOHN N. BOOTH ^ DATE:..........................JANUARY 18,1937 John N. Booth AUNT CHARLOTTE RAINES, EX-SLAVE Aunt Charlotte Raines, well up in the seventies at the time of her death some years ago, was an excellent example of the type of negro developed by the economic system of the eld South. When I could first remember, Charlotte was supreme ruler of the kitchen of my home. Thin to emaciation and stooped al- most to the point of having a hump on her back she was yet wiry and active. Her gnarled old hands could turn out prodlgous a- mounts of work when she chose to extend herself. Her voice was low and musical and she seldom raised it above the ordinary tone of conversation; yet when she spoke other colored people hastened to obey her and even the whites took careful note of what she said. Her head was always bound in a snow-white turban. She wore calico or gj^ham print dress- es and white aprons and these garments always appeared to be freshly laundered. Charlotte seldom spoke unless spoken to and she would never tell very much about her early life. She had been trained as persoaal maid to one of her ex-master's daughters. This family, (that of Swepson H. Cox) was one of the most cul- tured and refined that Lexington, in Ogletjforpe County, could boast. Aunt Charlotte never spoke of her life under the old regime but she had supreme contempt for "no count niggers that didn't hav* no white Folks. She was thrifty and frugal. Having a John N. Booth P o 191 -Page - 2 large family, most of her small earnings was spent on them. However, she early taught her children to scratch for themselves. Two of her daughters died after they had each brought several chil- dren Into the world. Charlotte thought they were being neglected oy their fathers and proceeded to take them "to raise myse'f". These grand children were the apple of her eye and she did much more for them than she had done for her own children. The old woman had many queer ways. Typical of her eccen- tricities was her Iron clad refusal to touch one bite of food In our house. If she wished a dish she was preparing tasted to see that It contained the proper amount of each Ingredient she would call some member of the family, usually my grandmother, and ask that he or she sample the food. Paradoxically, she had no compunctions about the amount of food she carried home for herself and her family. Strange as It may seem, Charlotte was an Incorrigible rogue. My mother and my grandmother both say that they have seen her pull up her skirts and drop things into a flour sack which she always wore tied round her waist Just for this purpose. I myself have seen this sack so full that it would bump against her knee. She did not confine her thefts to food only. She would also take personal belongings. Another servant in the house- hold once found one of Aunt Charlotte's granddaughters using a com- pact that she had atolen from her young mistress. The serpjait took the trinket away from the girl and returned it to the owner but nothing was ever said to Aunt Charlotte although every one knew she had stolen it. John N. Booth Page - 3 -*-^ One year when the cherry crop was exceptionally heavy, grand- mother had Charlotte make up a huge batch of cherry preserves in an iron pot. While Charlotte was out of the kitchen for a moment she went in to haw a look at the preserves and found that about half of them had been taken out. A careful but hurried search located the missing portion hidden in another container behind the stove. Grandmother never said a word but simply put the amount that had been taken out back in the pot. Charlotte never permitted anyone to take liberties with her except Uncle Daniel, the "man of all work" and another ex- slave. Daniel would Josh her about some "beau" er about her over, fondness for her grandchildren. She would take Just so much of this and then with a fillet "g'long with you", she would send him on about his business. Once when he pressed her a bit tee far she hurled a butcher knife at him, Charlotte was not a superstitious soul. She did not even believe that the near-by screech of an owl was an omen of death. However, she did have some fearful and wonderful folk remedies. When you got a bee sting Charlotte made Daniel spit to- bacco Juice on it. She always gave a pieoe of fat meat to babies because this would make them healthy all their lives. Her favorite remedy was to put a pan of cold water under the bed to stop "night sweats.N In her last years failing eye-sight and general ill health forced her to give up her active life. Almost a complete shut-In, she had a window cut on the north side of her room so she could John N. Booth Page - 4 193 "set and set whut went on up at Mis' Molly's" (her name for my grandmother) • She was the perfect hostess and whenever any member of our family went to see how she did during these latter days she al- ways served locust beer and cookies. Once when I took her a bunch of violets she gave me an old coin that she had carried on her person for years. Mother didn't want me to take it be- cause Charlotte's husband had given it to her and she set great store by it. However, the old woman Insisted that I be allowed to keep the token arguing it would not be of use to her much longer anyway. She died about a month later and in accordance with her instructions her funeral was conducted like "white foil* s buryln'", that is without the night being filled with walling and minus the usual harangue at the church. Ever in death Charlotte still thought silence golden. 4? X* SUBJECT:........................ PAHMY RANDOLPH- EX- SLAVE KESEARCH WORKER:................MRS. MATTIE B. ROBERTS EDITOR:.........................JOHN N. BOOTH SUPERVISOR:.....................MISS VELMA BELL r 1/J.oXxtJ. vX ?••••••••••••••••••••••• W • x» isL« JNU« X DATE:........................... MARCH 29, 1937' 195 FANNY. RANDOLPH - EX-SLAVE Perhaps the oldest ex-slave living today is found in Jefferson, Georgia. Fanny Randolph is a little old wrinkled-faced woman, but at the time of our visit she was very neat in a calico dress and a white apron with a bandanna handkerchief around her head. We saw her at the home of a niece with whom she lives, all of her own family being dead. Her room was tidy, and she had a bright log fire burning in the wide old fire place. She readily consented to talk about slavery times. "Honey, I doan know how ole I is, but I'se been here er long time and I'se been told by folks whut knows,dat I'se, maybe, mo' dan er hunderd years ole. I 'members back er long time befo' de war. My mammy and daddy wuz bofe slaves. My daddy s name wuz Daniel White an' my mammy's name befo' she married wuz Sarah Moon, she b' longed ter Marse Bob Moon who lived in Jackson County over near whar Winder is now. He wuz er big landowner an' had lots uv slaves. "When I wuz 'bout nine years ole, Marse Bob tuk me up ter de *big house* ter wait on ole Mistis. I didn't hav' much ter do, jes' had ter he'p 'er dress an' tie 'er shoes an' run eroun' doin' errands fur 'er. Yer know, In dem times, de white ladies had niggers ter wait on 'em an* de big niggers done all de hard wuk. 'bout de house an' yard.*' "Atter some years my mammy an' daddy bofe died, so I Jes' stayed at de rfbig house* an' wukked on fer Marse Bob an' olt Mistis. •" "Atter I growed up, us niggert on Marse Bob's plantation Roberts-Booth 190 Page - 2 had big times at our corn shuckin's an' dances. Us 'ud all git ter- gether at one uv de vablns an us 'ud have er big log fire an* er room ter dance in. Den when us had all shucked corn er good while ever nigger would git his gal an' dey would be some niggers over in de corner ter play fer de dance, on9 wid er fiddle an* one ter beat straws, an1 one wid er banjo, an' one ter beat bones, an1 when de musie 'ud start up (dey gener'ly played 'Billy in de I»ow Grounds* or ^Turkey in de Straw)1) us 'ud git on de floi Den de nigger whut called de set would say: 'All Join hands an' circle to de lef, back to de right, swing corners, swing partners, all run awayJ' An* de; way dem niggers feets would flyj r "Bye an' bye de war come on, an' all de men folks had ter go an* fight de Yankees, so us wimraen folks an' ehillun had er hard time den caze us all had ter look atter de stock an' wuk in de fiel's. Den us 'ud hear all 'tout how de Yankees wuz goln' eroun' an' skeerin* de wimmen folks mos' ter death goln' In dey houses an' making de lolks cook 'em stuff ter eat, den tearln' up an* messin1 up dey houses an' den marchln' on off.*" "Den when ole Mis tie 'ud hear de Yankees wuz eomin* she'd call us niggers en us 'ud ta>:e all de china, silver, and de joolry whut b' longed ter ole Miss an' her family an' dig deep holes out b'hind de smoke-house er under de b&g house, en bury h'it all 'tell de Yankees 'ud git by.* *3em wuz dark days, but atter er long time de war wuz over an' dey tole us us wuz free, I didn't want ter leave my white folks so I stayed on fer sometime, but atter while de nigger come erlong Roberts-Booth 197 Pag© - 3 whut I married. His name wuz Tom Randolph an* befo' de war he b'longed ter Marse Joshua Randolph, who lived at Jefferson, so den us moved ter Jefferson. Us had thirteen ehillun, but dey's all daid now an' my ©le man is dald toe, so I'se her© all by my se'f an' ef h'it warn't fer my two nieces here, who lets me liv' wid 'em I doan know whut I'd do.* "I'se allus tried ter do de right thin1 an' de good Lawd is takin' keer uv me fer his prophet say in de Good Book, 'I'se been young and now am ele, yet I'se nebber deed de righteous forsaken ner his seed beggin' bread." S© I ain't worryin* 'bout sumpin' ter eat, but I doan want ter stay here much longer onless h'its de good Lawds will." Asked if she was superstitious, she said: "Well when I wuz young, I reckin' I wuz, but now my pore ole mine is J«s so tired and h'it doan wuk lak h'it uster, so I never does think much 'bout superstition, but I doan lak ter heer er ^squlnch owl*""holler in de night, fer h'it sho is a sign some uv yore folks is goin' ter die, en doan brin' er ax froo de house onless yer take h'it back d© same way yer brung h'it in, fer dat 'ill kill de bad luck." When asked if she believed in ghosts or eould "see sights" she said: "Well, Miss, yer know if yer is borned wid er veil over yer face yer can see sights but I has never seed any ghosts er sight's, I warn't born dat way, but my nieee, here has seed ghest©s, en she can tell yer 'bout dat." When we were ready to leave we said "well, Aunt Fanny,we hope you liv© for many mor© years." She replied: "I'se willln' ter \ Roberts-Booth Page - 4 go on livln1 ez long ez de Marster wants me ter, still I'se ready when de summons eomes. De good ^awd had allus giv1 me I grace ter liv' toy, an* 1 know He'll giv' me dyin' grace when ! my time comes." 198 CONSULTANT: Fanny Randolph Jefferson, Georgia ~PtitS7-=t C ft****-' Re-search Worker 100143' v^ . -200, Syy Shade Richards Ex-slave Shade Richards was born January 13, 1846 on the Jimpson Heals plantation below Zebulon in Pike County, iris father, Alfred Richards had been brought from Africa and was owned by I5r, Williams on an adjoining plantation. His mother, Easter Richards was born in Houston County but sold to Mr. Heal, Shade being born on the plantation was Mr, Heal's property. He was the youngest of 11 children. Kis real name was "Shadrack" and the brother just older than he was named "Meshaek". Sometimes the mothers named the babies but most of the time the masters did. Mr, leal did Shade's Bnamin,n. Shade's father came two or three times a month to see his family on llr. HealTa plantation always getting a "pass" from his master for "niggers" didn't dare go off their own plantation without a "pass". Before the war Shade's grandfather came from Africa to buy his son and take him home, but was taken sick and both father and son died. Shade's earliest recollections of his mother are that she worked in the fields until "she was thru' bornin' ehillun" then she was put in charge of the milk and butter. There * %. * 201 were 75 or 80 oows to "be milked twice a day and she had to have 5 or 6 other women helpers. Lfi% Heal had several plantations in different localities and his family did not live on this one in Pike County but he made regular visits to each one* It had no name, v/as just called nUealfs Place*" It consisted of thirteen hundred acres. /There were always two or three hundred slaves on the place, "besides the ones he ;just bought and sold for "tradin111* He didnft like "little nigger men* and when he happened to find one among his slaves he v/ould turn the dogs on him and let them run him down. The boys were not allowed to work in the fields until they were 12 years old, but they had to wait on the hands, jjieh--aa car- rying water, running back to the shop with tools and for tools, driving wagons of corn, wheat etc# to the mill to be ground and any errands they were considered big enough to do* Shade worked in the fields when he became 12 years old* This plantation was large and raised everything—corn, wheat, cotton, ntatersff, tobacco, fruit, vegetables, rice, sugar cane, horses, mules, ^oats, sheep, and hogs* They kept all that v/as needed to feed the slaves then sent the surplus to * 3 * 202 Savannah by the "Curz". The stage took passengers, but the "Curz" was 40 or 50 wagons that took the farm surplus to Savannah, and "fetched hack things for de house." Mr. Heal kept 35 or 40 hounds that had to be cooked for. He was "rich with plenty of money" always good to his slaves and didn't whip them much, but his son, "Mr. Jimmy, sure was a bad one". Sometimes he'd use the cow hide until it i made blisters, then hit them with the flat of the hand saw | until they broke and next dip the victim into a tub of I salty water. It often killed the "nigger" but "Mr. Jimmy" didnTt care. He whipped Shade's uncle to death. When the "hog killin' time come" it took 150 nigger men a week to do it. The sides, shoulders, head and .jowls were kept to feed the slaves on and the re3t was shipped to Savannah. Ilr. leal was gjoo& to his slaves and gave them every Saturday to "play" and go to the "wrestling school". At Xmas. they had such a good time, would go from house to house, ohe boys would fiddle and they'd have a drink of liquor at each house. • The liquor was plentiful for they bought it in "barrels, -he plantations took turn about having "Frolics" when they "fiddled and danced" all night. If it wasn't on your own plantation you sure had to have a "pass1** When a slave wanted to "^ine the ehurohB the preacher asked his master if he was a "good nigger", if the master "spoke up for you", you were "taken in," hut if he didn't you weren't. The churches had a pool for the Baptist Preachers to baptize in and the Methodist Preacher sprinkled, T^ r I Mr* Heal "traded" with Dr. by the year and whenever the slaves were hurt or sick he had to come "tend" to them. He gave the families their food by the month, hut if it gave out all they had to do was to ask for more and he always gave it to them. They had just as good meals during the week as on Sunday, any kind of meat out of the smoke house, chickens, squabs, fresh beef, shoats, sheep, biscuits or cornbread, rice, potatoes, beans, syrup and any garden vegetables. Sometimes they went fishing to add to their menu. The single male slaves lived together in the "boy house" and had just as much as others. There were a lot of women who did nothing but sew, making work clothes ,for the hands, i'heir Sunday clothes were bought with the money they made off the little "patches" the master let them work for themselves. 204 Mr. Jimmy took Shade to the war with him. Shade had t-o wait on him as a "body servant then tend to the two horses. Bullets went through Shade's coat and hat many times "but "de Lord was takin* care" of him snd he didn't get hurt. They were in the battle of Appomatox and "at the surrendering" April 8, 1865, hut the "evidence warn't sworn out until May 29, so that's when the niggers celebrate emancipation." Shade's brother helped lay the R. E. from Atlanta to Macon so the Confederate soldiers and ammunition could move faster. In those days a negro wasn't grown until he was 21 regardless of how large he was. Shade was "near 'bout" grown when the war was over but y/orked for SHr. Heal four years. \ His father id mother rented a patch, mule and plow from Mr. Heal and the the family was together. At first they gave the niggers only a tenth of what they raised but they couldn't get along on it [and after a "lot of mouthin' about it" they gave them a third. Ihat wasn't enough to live on either so wore "mouth^in" about .t until they gave them a half, "and thats what they still gits 'today. When the slaves went 'courtin' and the man and woman decided to get married, they -.vent to the man's master for permission then to the woman's master. There was no ceremoi^r if both masters said "alright" they were considered married and it was called "^umpin' the broomstick." '* § * 205 Signs were "more true." in the olden days than now* God lead his people "by dreams then. One night Shade dreamed of a certain road he used to walk over often and at the fork he found a lead pencil, then a little farther on he dreamed of a purse with $2.42 in it. Hext_day he"went farther and just like the dream he found the pocketbook with 52.43 in it. Shade now works at the Kincaid I.Iill Ifo. 2, he makes sacks and takes up waste, Ke thinks he*s lived so long because he never eats hot food or takes any medicine, "People takes too much medicine now days" he says and when he feels "bad he just smokes his corn cob pipe or takes a chew of tobacco. Shade Richards East Solomon Street Griffin, Georgia September 14, 19S6 DORA ROBERTS Dora Roberts was born in 1849 and was a slave of Joseph Maxwell of Liberty County. The latter owned a large number of slaves and plantations in both Liberty and iiarly Counties. During the war ??Salem" the plantation in Liberty County was sold and the woner moved to Early County where he owned two plantations known as "Nisdell" and "Rosedhu"* Today, at 88 years of age, Aunt t or a is a fine specimen of the fast disappearing type of ante- bellum Uegro* Her shrewd dark eyes glowing, a brown paper sack perched saucily on her white cottony hair, and puffing contentedly on an old corn cob pipe, the old woman began her recital what happened during plantation days, "Dey is powerful much to tell ob de days ob elabry, chile, an9 it come to me in pieces* Dis story ain9t in no rotation fcause my mind it don9t do dat kinds function, but I tell it as it come ta me* De colored folks had dey fun as well as dey trials and tribulations, fcause dat Satfday nigh dance at de plantation wuz jist de finest ting we wanted in dem days* All de slabes fum de udder plantation dey cum ta our barn an1 Jine in an1 if dey had a gal on dis plantation dey lob, den dat wuz d& time dey would court* Bey would swing to de band dat made de music* My brother wuz de captain ob de quill band an1 dey sure could make you shout anf dance til you quz nigh fbout exhausted* ^tta findin9 ya gal ta dat dance den you gits passes to come courtin9 on Sundays* Den de most ob dem dey wants git married anf dey must den git de consent fum de massa ceremonies wuz read ober dam and de man git passes fo9 de week-end $a tymt wid his wife* But de slabes dey got togedder an9 have dem jump over de broom stick an9 have a big celebration an9 dance an9 make merry 9til morning9 and9 lie time fo9 work agin* ¦*' & s me worked de fields an9 kep f up de plantation fTil freedom, Ebry adnesday de xaassa case visit us on look ober de plantation ta see dat ell is veil. lie takl ta de oberrheer an9 find out how good de nork is. e lub la nasaa anf work ha9d fof hiia. *7vh kin fraeaber dat Wednesday night plain as it wuz yesterday. It saeras lak de air 9round de quarters an1 de big house filled wid axcitiKient; eben de wind seen lak It vuz waitin9 fo9 soa9ting. le dogs an* de pickaninnies ay sleep laay like f gainst de big cjate waitin9 fof de crack ob dat whip which wuz de signal dat Julius wua bringln9 de master down de lon# dribe under de oaks. Chile9 us a^i wz happy kaowln* date de fun would start. "All of a sudden you hear deza chilluns whoop, an9 de dogs bark, den de curfa/^e roll up wid a flourish, an1 de coachman dressed in de fines1 git out an1 place de cookie try on de groun9. I en day all gadder in de circle an1 fof dey ,it dey su2;;;ly, dey got ta do de pigeon wing. "Chile, you aln9t neber seen slch flingin9 ob de anas an9 legs in yo9 tliae. Teia pickaninnies dey had de natural born art ob twlstin9 dey body any > ay dey wish* I;at dere ting dey calls truckin9 new an9 use to be chimayt ain9t hid no time wid de dancin9 dam ohilluna do. Dey claps dey hands a d keep de tins, while dat old brudder ob mine he blows de quills. Massa l*e wotJLd allus "bring de big tray ob 9la^ses cookies fof all de chilluns. i?&f>t as de tray would empty, Ma^sa send ta de barrel fo9 more, re niters do no work dat day, out dey Jist celebrate. ***itta de war broke out we wuz all ca9yhed up to de plantation in Early ¦Jounty tc stay 9til atta de war. De day de mancipation wuz read dey wuz iv.dness an9 gladness* Do de Itnssa he call us all togsdder an9 wid tears in his eyas he say — 9You is all free now an9 you can go Jiat whar you please. I hab no ©ore jurisdiction ober you. *11 who stay will be well eared for*9 ut de most ob us wanted to cgkbo back to de place whar we libed befo9 — Liberty County. "So he ou fitted de wagons wid horses anf mules an9 glh us what dey vma ob priviciona on de plant at! cm enf sent us on our way ta de ole plan- tation in Lii>erty County* Tare wua six horses ta d© wagons* fLcng de way de wagons broke down 9cause de rallies ain't had nothinf ta eat an1 most ob dea died* Vfe git in eich a bad fix so^ae ob de people died* hen it 3oem lak we miz all gwine die. a planter came slon*? de road an9 he stepped ta fine out what wua de matter* Wen he hoard our story six9 who our master wuz he dt a message to 3niia fbout us* r*It see lak de g od Lord muata answered de prayers ob his chillun fof •long way down de road we seed our Masaa cosdn9 anf he brung ram an% horses to git us safely ta de ole haae* Jhen he got us deref I neber see him no zaor© 9 cause ho wont back up in Larly County an1 atta I work der© at de plantation a long time den I come ta de city Uhyah my sister be wid one ob iay master1 s oldest daughters — a Mrs* i unwodies. who she wus nursin1 fof* T*ijif dat9s fbout all dey is ta tell. v/hen I sits anf rocks here o& de porch it all acsaes back ta ;ae. : earns sometimes lak I wus still dere on de plantation* ;*af it seem lak itfs bids1 tiiae fof de maesa ta be coain9 ta see how tinr,s are goinf#,f ' ; ¦¦¦.¦•- ' ; ; ;_, I U0U~7 Written by Rufck ehitty ¦Wfr&tmotL Worker jg District #2 Re-written by velma Bell EX-SL&TCE DITERyTBW AUI-3T FEREBE ROGERS Baldwin County Hi He Age vi He, Ga. More than a century lies in the span of memory of "Aunt Ferebe" Rogers •< The interviewers found her huddled by the fireside, all alone while her gran&aughter worked on a WPA Project to make the living for them both. In spite of her years and her frail physique, her memory was usually clear, only oc- casionally becoming too misty for scenes to stand out plainly* Her face lighted with a reminiscent smile when she was asked to \ "tell us something about old times." "I 'members a whole heap 'bout slav'ey times. Law, honey, when freedom come I had five chillen. Five chillen and ten cents!" and her crackled laughter was spirited. * "Dey says I'm a hundred and eight or nine years old, but I don't think I'm quite as old as dat. I knows I'se over a hundred, dough. "I was bred and born on a plantation on Brier Creek in Baldwin County. My ole marster was Mr. Sam Hart. He owned my mother. She had thirteen chillen. I was de oldest, so I tuck devil's fare. '"*" "My daddy was a ole-time free nigger. He was a good- sh.oe-maker, and could make as fine shoes and boots as ever you see. But he never would work till he was plumb out o' money - den he had to work Page £ Ghitty-Bell 210 But he quit jes* soon as he made a little money. Mr. Chat Morris (he had a regular shoe shop) - he offered him studdy work makin' boots and shoes for him. Was go'n* pay him |300. a year. But he wpuldn^ take it. Was too lazy. De ole-time free niggers had to tell how dey make dey livin', and if dey couldn't give satisfaction 'bout it, dey was put on de block and sold to de highest bidder. Most of *em sold for 3 years for |50. My daddy brought $100. when he was sold for three or four years. "I was on de block twice myself. When de old head died dey was so many slaves for de chillen to draw for, we was put on de block. Mr. John_Baggei±. bought me den; said I was a good breedin* 'oman. Den later, one de young Hart marsters bought me back. "All de slaves had diff *unt work to do. My auntie was one de weavers. Old Miss had two looms goinf all de time. She had a old loom and a new loom. My husband made de new loom for Old Miss. He was a carpenter and he worked on outside Jobs after hefd finish- ed tasks for his marster. He use to make all de boxes dey buried de white folks and de slaves in, on de Hart and Golden Plantations. Dey was pretty as you see, too. / "I was a fielf han* myself. I come up twixf de plow handles. / I warn't de fastesf one wid a hoe, but I didnft turn my back on nobody plowin*. ITo, mam» "" "My marster had over a thousand acres of land. Ke was good to us. We had plenty to eat, like meat and bread and vegetables. We raised eve'ything on de plantation - wheat, corn, potatoes, peas, hogs, cows, sheep, chickens - jes' eve^thing. Page 3 Chitty-Bell 211 tfAll de clofes was made on de plantation, too* Dey spun de thread from cotton and wool, and dyed it and wove it* We had cutters and dem dat done de sewin*. I still got de fusf dress my husband give me. Lerame show it to you." Gathering her shawl about her shoulders, and reaching for her stick, she-hobbled across the room to an old hand-made chest. "My husband made dis chisf for me." Raising the top, she began to search eagerly through the treasured bits of clothing for the "robe-tail muslin" that had been the gift of a long-dead husband. One by one the garments came out - - her daughterfs dress, two little bonnets all faded and worn ("my babies' bonnetstf), her husbandfs coat. "And dat's my husbandfs motherfs bonnet* It use to be as pretty a black as you ever see* Itfs faded brown now* It was dyed wid walnut*" The chest yielded up old cotton cards, and horns that had been used to call the slaves. Finally the "robe-tail muslin" came to light * The soft material, so'fragile with age that a touch sufficed to reduce it still further to rags, was made with a full skirt and plain waist, and still showed traces of a yellow color and a sprigged design. "Uy husband was Kinchen Rogers* His marster was Mr* Bill Golden, and lie live fbout fof mile from where I stayed on de Hart plantation*" :r ^ rtji n^op,.«•i.^p-o «?!^|.-;>S;i' W^^V;^ ;|^«^ 4 GM1 **AUiit Ferebe, how did you meet your husband?1* "Veil, you see, us slaves went to de white folks ©feureii a- Sunday. Marster, he was a prim'tive Baptis*, and he try to'keep his slaves from goin' to other churches. We had baptising fust Sundays. Back in dem days dey baptised in de creek, but at, de windin* up of freedom, dey dug a pool, I went to church; Sundays, and dat's where I met my husband. I been ma'tet jes* one time. He de daddy o' all my ehillen'. (I had fifteen in all',)* f "Who married you, Aunt Ferebe. Did you have a license?" i tf1feo ever heered a nigger -bavin1 a license?** and she rocked i \ with, high.~pitch.ed laughter. * "Young marster was fixin* to maty us, but hie got col* feet, and a nigger by name o' Enoch. Golden mailed us. Be was what i»e called a 'double-headed nigger' - he could read and write, and he knowed so much. On his dyin* bed he said he been de death o' many a nigger 'cause he taught so many to read and write* . "Mb and my husband couldn't live together till after freedom ?cause we had diffunt marsters, When freedom come, marster wanted all us niggers to sign up to stay till Chris'man. Bless, yo' soul, I didn't sign up. I went to my husband! But he signed up to stay wid his marster till Ghris'man. After dat we worked on shares on de Hart plantation; den we farmed fof - five years wid Mr. Bill Johnson." /" ""Aunt Ferebe, are these better times, or do you think slavery \ ' . times were happier?* "Well, now, you ax me for de truth, didn't you? - and I*m Vi ¦"^'yW';? WPJ^fr goin» "to"tell yo* de truth.* I don't tell no lies. Yesj Wmt dese has been better times to me. I think hit's better to work for yourself and have what you make dan to work for somebody else and don't git nut tin* out it. Slav'ey days was mighty hard. I3y marster was good to us (I mean he didn't beat us much, and he give us plenty plain food) but some slaves suffered awful. My aunt was beat cruel once, and lots de other slaves. Ihen dey got ready to beat yo*, dey'd strip you* stark mother naked and dey'd say# ?Come here to me, God damn you! Come to me clean! Walk up to flat tree,, and damn you, hug dat tree. Den dey tie yo' hands ?round de tree* den tie yo* feets; den dey'd lay de rawhide on you and cut yor buttocks open. Sometimes dey'd rub turpentine * and salt in de raw places, and den beat you some mo'. Oh, hit was awful! And what could you do? Dey had all de 'vantage of you, --"' MI never did git no beatin'- like dat, but I got whuppinfs - plenty o' 'em. I had plenty o* devilment in me, but I quit all my devilment when I was ma'led* I use to fight - fight wid any- thing I could git my han's on. . "You had to have passes to go from one plantation to 'nother. Some de niggers would slip off sometime and go widout a pass, or maybe marster was busy and dey didn't want to bother him for a pass, so dey go v/idout one." In eve'y dee-strick dey had 'bout twelve men dey call patterollers. Dey ride up and down and aroun' looking for niggers widout passes. If dey ever caught you off yo' plantation wid no pass, dey beat you all over* i*1-^^! MA "Yes'm, I 'member a song ?bout - - ?Run, nigger, run, de patteroiler git you. Slip over de fenee slick as a eel, White man ketch, you by de heel, Ron, nigger run**" No amount of coaxing availed to make her sing the whole of the song, or to tell any more of the words* "When slaves run away, dey always put de blood-hounds on de tracks. Marster always kep* one hound namet Rock. I can hear fim now when dey was on de track, callin*, 'Hurrah, Rock, hurrah, Rock: Ketch 'iml' "Dey always send Rock to fetch ?im down when dey foun' 'im. Dey had de fogs trained to keep dey teef out you till ^ej tole 'em to bring you down. Den de dogs *ud go at yo* th'oatj and dey'd tear you to pieees, too. After a slave was caught, he was brung home and put in chains* "De marsters let de slaves have little patches o' Ian1 for deyse'ves. De size o' de patch was ?cordin' to de size o' yo* family* We was ?lowed 'bout fof acres. We made 'bout five hundred pounds o' lint cotton, and solf it at Warrenton. Den we used de money to buy stuff for Chris'man." "Did you have big times at Christmas, Aunt Ferebe?" "Chris'man - huh! - Chris'mah warn't no diffunt from other times. We used to have quiltin' parties, candy pullin's, dances, corn shuckin's, games like thimble and sich like." Aunt Ferebe refused to sing any of the old songs. "ITo, imam,, I ain't go'n' do dat. I th'oo wid all dat now. Yes, mam, I Bags©."'? : CIlltty-.'Bitli^ 'members 'email right, but I ain't go's* .sing 'em. No*at nor say de words neither. All dat'spas' now* "Course dey had doctors in dem days ¦', but we used mostly home-made medicines. I don't believe in doctors much now. We used sage tea, ginger tea, rosemary tea - all good for colds and other ail-ments„ too. "We had men and women midwives. Dr. Cicero Gibson was wid me when my fus* baby come. I was twenty-five years old den. My baby chile seventy-five now." "luntie, did you learn to read and write?" "Mo, mam, I'd had my right arm cut off at de elbow if I'd a-done dat* If dey foun' a nigger what could read ant write, dey'd cut yo' arm off at de elbow, or sometimes at de shoujlder." ——" In, answer to a query about ghosts, she said - "Ho, mam, I ain't seed nuttin' like dat. Folks come tellin' me dey see sieh and sich a thing. I say hit's de devil dey see. I ain't seed nuttin* yit. Ifo'm, I don't believe in no signs, neither." "Do you believe a screech owl has anything to do with, death?" "Yes, mam, *fo* one my chillen died, squinoh owl come to my house ev'ey night and holler* After de chile die he ain't come no mo*. Cows mooin' or dogs howlin' after dark means death, too. "ITo, man, I don't believe in no cunjurs. One cunjur-man come here once. He try his bes* to overcome me, but he couldn't do nuttin* wid me. After dat, he tole my husband he couldn't do Page 8 Chltty-Bell 21 (j iiuttin' to me, 'cause I didn't believe in him, and dem. eunjur- folks can't hurt you less'n you believes in »em. He say he could make de sun stan* still, and do wonders, but I knowed dat v;am't so, 'cause can't nobody stop de sun *cep* de man what :.iade hit, and dat's God. I don't believe in no cunjurs. "1 don't pay much 'tention to times o' de moon to do tilings, neither, I plants my garden when I gits ready. But bunch beans does better if you plants 'em on new moon in Ap'il. 'plant butterbeans on full moon in Ap'il - potatoes fus* o' March. mtfhen de war broke out de damn Yankees come to our place ¦ley done eve'ything dat was bad. Dey burn eve'ything dey could- n't use, and CLej tuck a heap o' corn. Marster had a thousand bushels de purtiest shucked corn, all nice good ears, in de pen at de house. Dey tuck all dat. ilarster had some corn pens on ae river, dough, dey didn't find. I jes' can't tell you all ley done. "How come I live so long, you say? - I don't know - jes' -e goodness o' de Lawd, I reckon. I worked hard all my life, aad always tried to do right." HENHY ROGERS of tfASHINGTON-fflLKES by Minnie Branham Stonestreet fashington-Wilkes GEORGIA 100187 218 Emm BOGEHS of WASHOTGTW-VUJnB Henry Bogers of Washington-Wilkes is known by almost every one in the town and county* To the men around town he is "Deacon", to his old friends back in Hanoook County (Georgia) where he was born and reared, he is "Brit"; to everybody else he is "Uncle Henry", and he is a friend to all. For forty-oae years he has lived in lashington-Wilkes where he has worked as waiter, as lot man, and as driver for a livery stable when he "driv drummers" around the country anywhere they wanted to go and in all kinds of weather* He is proud that he made his trips safely and was always on time. Then when automobiles put the old time livery stables out of business he went to work in a large furniture and undertaking establishment where he had charge of the colored department* Finally he decided to accept a job as janitor and at one time was janitor for three banks in town* He is still working as janitor in two buildings, despite his seventy-three years. Uncle Henry!s "book learning" is very limited, but he has a store of knowledge gathered here and there that is surprising* He usas very little dialect except when he is excited or worried* He speaks of his heart as "my time keeper". When he promises anything in the future he says, "Please the Lord to spare me",and when anyone gets a bit impatient he bids them, "Be paciable, be paciable. Dismal is one of his favorite words but it is always "dism". When he says •Now, I'm tellin* page - 2 219 yer financially" or "dat18 financial", he means that he is being very frank and what he is saying is absolutely true* f Regarded highly as the local weather prophet, Uncle Henry gets up every morning before daybreak and scans the heavens to see what kind of weather is on its way* He guards all these "signs" well and under no consideration will he tell them. They were given to him by someone who has passed on and he keeps thea as a sacred trust* If asked, upon making a prediction, "How do you know?" Uncle Henry shakes his wise old head and with a wave of the hand says, "Datfs all right, you jess see now, it's goin1 ter be dat way". And it usually is I Seventy-three years ago "last gone June" Uncle Henry was born In the It. Zion community in Hancock county (Georgia), seven miles from Sparta. His mother was Molly Navery Hunt, his father, Jim Rogers. They belonged to Mr* Jenkins Hunt and his wife "Miss riebecca". Henry was the third of ei»ht children. He has to say about his early life: "Xassum, I wuz born right over there in Hancock county, an* stayed there ftil the year 1895 when Mrs* tfiley come fer me to hep1 her in the Hotel here in ashington an* I been here ev'ry since. I recollects well living on the Hunt plantation* It wuz a big place an' we had fifteen or twenty sla?es" - (The "we" was proudly possessive) - "we wuz all as happy passel of niggers as could be found anywhere* Aunt Winnie wuz the cook an* the kitchen wuz a big old one out in the yard anf had a fireplace page — 3 £w£2() that would 'oommodate a whole fence rail, it wuz so big, an1 had pot hooks, pots, big old iron ones, an' everything er round to cook on* Aunt Winnie had a great big wooden tray dat she would fix all us little niggers1 meals in an1 call us up an' han1 us a wooden spoon apiece an make us all set down fround the tray an1 eat all us wanted three times ev'ry day* In one corner of the kitchen set a loom my Mother use to weave on* 3he would weave way into the night lots of times. The fust thinfc I 'members is f oiler in' my Mother er 'round. She wuz the housegirl an' seamstress an' everywhere she went I wuz at her heels* My father wuz the overseer on the Hunt place, e never had no ha rd work to do. My fust work wuz 'tendin1 the calves an1 shinin' my Master's shoes* How I did love to put a Sunday shine on his boots an' shoes 1 He called me his nigger an' wuz goin' ter make a barber out of me if slavery had er helt on* As it wuz, I shaved him long as he lived* ue lived in the Quarters over on a high hill 'cross the spring- branch from the white peoples' house* . Je had comfortable log cabins an1 lived over there an1 wuz happy* Ole Uncle Alex Hunt wuz the bugler an' ev'ry mornin' at 4:00 o'clock he blowed the bugle fer us ter git up, 'cept Sunday mornin's, us all slept later on Jundays* "When I wuz a little boy us plnyed marbles, mumble peg. an' all sich games. The little white an' black boys played together, an' ev'ry time 'Ole Miss' whipped her boys she whipped me too. page - 4 221 hut nobody fcept ay Mistess ever teched me to punish me. I recollects oneSadday night ole Uncle Aaron Hunt come in an' he must er been drinkin' er sumpin' fer he got ter singin' down in the Quarters loud as he could '60 Tell Marse Jesus I Done Done All I Kin Do', an' nobody could make him hush singin'• He got into sioh er row 'til they had ter go git some 0' the white folks ter come down an' quiet him down* Dat wuz the only 'sturbance 'mongst the niggers X ever 'members* "I wuz so little when the Vfar come on I don't member but one thing 'bout it an1 that wuz when it wuz over with an' our white mens come home all de neighbors, the Simpsons, the Neals, the Aliens all living on plantations 'round us had a big dinner over at my white peoples', the Hunts, an1 it sho wuz a big affair* Ev'rybody from them families wuz there an' sich rejoiein1 I never saw* I won't forgit that time* "I ailus been to Church* As a little boy my folks took me to ole Mt Zion* »e went to the white peoples' Church 'til the colored folks had one of they own* The white folks had services in Mt Zion in the mornings an* the niggers in the evenin's*" When a colored person died back in the days when Uncle Henry was coming on, he said they sat up with the dead and had prayer8 for the living* There was a Mr* Beman in the community who made coffins, and on the Hunt place old Uncle Aaron Hunt ige • 5 ooo t^t~*fZi helped him* The dead were buried in home-made coffins and the hearse was a one horse wagon* "When I wuz a growin1 upM said Uncle Henry , "I wore a long loose shirt in the summer, an9 in the winter plenty of good heavy warm clothes* [I had fnits an' lice1 pants an1 hickory stripe waists when I was a little boy* [All these my Mother spun an* wove the cloth fer an* my Mistess made* ??hen X wuz older I had copperas pants an' shirts*" Uncle Henry has many signs but is reluctant to tell them. Finally he was prevailed upon to give several. What he calls his "hant sign" is: "If you runs into hot heat sudden, it is a sho sign hants is somewheres 'round?" When a rooster comes up to the door and crows, if he is standing with his head towards the door, somebody is coming, if he is standing with his tail towards the door, it is a sign of death, according to Uncle Henry. It is good luck for birds to build their nests near a house, and if a male red bird comes around the woodpile chirping, get ready for bad weather for it is on its way* Uncle Henry is a pretty good doctor too, but he doesn't like to tell his remedies* He did say that life everlasting tea is about as good thing for a cold as can be given and for hurts of any kind there is nothing better than soft rosin* fat meat and a little soot mixed up and bound to the wound* He is excellent with animals and when a mule, dog, pig or anything page • 6 &£3 gets siok his neighbors call him in and he doctors them and usually makes them well* As for conjuring, Uncle Henry has never known much about it, but he said when he was a little fellow he heard the old folks talk about a mixture of devil's snuff and cotton stalk roots chipped up together and put into a little bag and that hidden under the front steps* This was to make all who came up the steps friendly and peacable even if they should happen to be coming on some other mission* After the War the Bogers family moved from the Hunt8, te the Alfriend plantation adjoining* As the Alfriends were a branch of the Hunt family they considered they were still owned as in slavery by the same "white peoples". They lived there until Uncle Eenry moved to Washington-'!Ikes in 1895* Christmas was a great holiday on the plantation* There was no work done and everybody had a good time with plenty of everything good to eat* Baster was another time when work was laid aside* A big Church service took place Sunday and on Monday a picnic was attended by all the negroes in the community* There were Fourth of July celebrations, log rollings, corn shuokings, house coverings and quilting parties* In all of these except the Fourth of July eelebration it was a share* the-work idea* Uncle Henry grew a bit sad when he recalled how "peoples use ter be so good fbout hep*in* one fnother9 an* page - 7 now dey don*t do nothin' fer nobody lessen1 dey pays fem.rt He told how, when a neighbor cleared a new ground and needed help, he invited all the men for some distance around and had a big supper prepared. They rolled logs into huge piles and set them afire, «hen all were piled high and burning "brightly, supper was served by the fire light. Sometimes the younger ones danced around the burning logs. ^hen there was a big barn full of corn to be shucked the neighbors gladly gathered in, shucked the corn for the owner, who had a fiddler and maybe some one to play the banjo. The corn was shucked to gay old tunes and. piled high in another bara» Then after a "good hot supper" there was perhapo a dance in the cleared barn. When a neighbors house needed covering, he got the shingles and called in his neighbors and friends, who came along with their wives. r'hile the men worked atop the house the women were cooking a delicious dinner down in the kitchen. At noon it was served amid much merry making. By sundown the house was finished and the friends went home happy in the memory of a day spent in toil freely given to one who needed it. All those affairs were working ones, but Uncle Henry told of one that marked the end of toil for a season and that was the ?ourth of July as celebrated on the Hunt and iilfriend plantations. .ie said: rtQn the evenin1 of the third of July all plows, gear, hoes an1 all sioh farm tools wuz bro't in from the fields an1 put in the big grove in front of the house where a long table had been page - 8 &»iiO built* On the Fo'th a barbecue wuz cooked, ?/hen dinner v/uz ready all the ban's got they plows an' tools, the mules wuz bro't up an' gear put on them, an' den ole Uncle Aaron started up a song 'tout the crops wuz laid by an' res* time had come, an' every- body grabbed a hoe er sumpin', put it on they shoulder an1 jined the march 'round an' round the table behind Uncle Aaron singin* an* marchin', Uncle Aaron linin' off the song an' ev*ry body follerin* him. It wuz a sight to 3ee all the ban's an' mules er goin' 'round the table like that. Den when ev'ry body wuz might nigh 'zausted, they stopped an' et a big barbecue dinner. Us use ter work hard to git laid by by de Fo'th so's we could celebrate. It sho* wuz a happy time on our plantations an* the white peoples enjoyed it as much as us niggers did. "Us use ter have good times over there in Hancock County", continued Uncle Henry. Ev*rybody wuz so good an* kind ter one fnother; *t'ain't like that now - no mam, not lak it use ter be. hy I 'members onst, when I fust growed up an' wuz farain' fer myself, I got sick way long up in the >pring, an' my crop wuz et up in grass when one evenin* Mr. Harris - (he wuz overseein' |er Mr.Treadwell over on the next plantation to the ilfriends) - come by. I wuz out in the field tryin* ter scratch 'round as best I could, Mr. Harris say: "Brit, you in de grass mighty bad.* I say: 'Yassir, I is, but I been sick an* couldn't hep* myself, that's how come I so behind.1 fie say: 'Look lak you needs hep'.' 'Yassir,* I says, 'but I ain*t got nobody to work but me.* Dat's all he said. Well air, the nex' mornin' by times over comes Mr. Harris wid six plows page - 9 an1 eight hoe ban's an1 they give me a whole day's work an' when they finished that evenin' they want a sprig of grass in ay crop; it wuz clean as this floor, an' I'se tellin1 yer the truth* Bat's the way peoples use ter do, but not no me' - everybody too selfish now, anf they think ain't nobody got responsibilits (responsibilities) but them." Speaking of his early life Uncle Henry continued: "When X growed up I broke race horses fer white mens an' raced horses too, had rooster fights an' done all them kind o' things, but X 'sought fligion an' found it an' frua that day to this I ain't never dons them things no bo'« When X jined the Church X had a Game rooster named 'Banger' that X had won ev'ry fight that X had matched him in* Peoples come miles ter see Banger fight; he wuz a Warhorse Game* After I come to be a member of the Church I quit figbtin' Hanger so Mr* Sykes come over an' axed me what I would take fer him, I told him he could have him - I warn't goin' to fight wid him any mo'* He took him an' went over three states, winnin' ev'ry fight he entered him in an1 come home wid fifteen hundred dollars he made on oanger* He give me fifty dollars, but X never wanted him back* Hanger wuz a pet an' X could do anything wid 'in* I'd hold out my arm an' tell him to come up an1 he'd fly up on my arm an' crow* He'd get on up on my haid an' orow too* One rainy day 'fore X give him away he got in the lot an' kilt three turkeys an' a gobbler fer my Mistess* She got mighty mad an' X sho wuz skeered 'til Marse took mine an' Hanger's part an' wouldn't let her do nothin' wid us." page - 10 ^*w'« tforty-seven years ago Uncle Henry married Annie Tiller of iiancock County, They had four children, three of whom are living. About his courtship and /carriage he has to say; "I wuz at 3unday 3chool one Sunday anf saw Annie fer the fust time. I went 'round where she wuz an' wuz made 'quainted with her an' right then an' there I said to myself, 'She's my gal'. I started goin' over to see her an' met her folks. I liked her Pa an Ma an' I would set an' talk with them an' 'pear not to be payin' much 'tention to Annie. I took candy an' nice things an' give to the family, not jest to her, I stood in with the ole folks an' 't'wam't long 'fore me an' Annie wuz married." Uncle Henry said he took Annie to Sparta to his Pastor's home for the marriage and the preacher told him he charged three dollars for the ceremony. "But I tole him I warnt goin' to give him but er dollar an' a half 'cause I wuz one of his best payin' members an' he ought not to charge me no more than dat. An' I never paid him no mo' neither, an' dat wuz er plenty." Though he is crippled in his "feets" he is hale and hearty and manages to work without missing a day. He is senior Steward in his church and things there o about like he says even though he isn't a preacher. All the members seem to look to him for "consulation an' 'couragement". In all his long life he has ,%neveT spoke a oath if I knows it, an' X hates cusain'." He speaks of his morning devotions as "havin' prayers wid myself". His page • 11 228 blessing at mealtime is the same one he learned in his "white peoples1" home when he was a little boy: "We humbly thank Thee, our Heavenly Father, for what we have before us** Uncle Henry says: WI loves white peoples an1 I'm a-li?iaf long 'cause in my early days dey oared fer me an' started me off right - they's my bes' friea's*w v>r mother, and thro© sisters wore the property »f a Frenchman naaed Cel©nel Do Biai©a% a very wealthy land ©wner« Mrs* Baah d©oa n©t reaeHfcer her father aa he waa ¦•Id away frc:-i his family when ah© was a ©ahy. Aa a child %s» Hash served as playaate t© ©n t© the field in a Basket which they placed an their heads* ill tf the hands war© ivon a certain aa©unt ©f werk t© perfera each day and if the w©rk waa n©t ©©apleted u -./hipping B&ght he ferthceiaing. Breakfast was sent t© th© field t© the hands and if at iiri'jr ti:ae they were".not to© farj^ away fren their casins they were permitted t© g© :o. At night they prepared thoir ovm meals in their individual cabins. All food on the /©lonol*s plantation waa issued daily from the? c©rn house. . ount of broad for the day whim groanftf' ^^n they went ©at and dug their p©tato^a---fr«* •'.-i/olonal's garden. &© neat whatsoever was issued. It was up t© the slaves t© catch ."iah, oystera and other sea f©od for their sieat supply. All those wh© desired t© wer© ..••r.?.ittad t© raise chickens*1 watermelons and atihfr vegetaTslee. fhere was n© r§atri«ti©n r. any as/te what mist »o done with the produce a© raisad. It could bo said ©r kept -:r personal consu2apti«n» C©l©nel Do Binion always saw that his slaves had sufficient cl©thing, Ia tha 230 sv;r.or ninths tOta.© men war© given tw© shirts, twe pairs of pants, and tw© pairs ©# lander- ;: cr» All ®f those clethes were made tf cotton ani.all were sewed en the plantation^ If siioca wore worn in the siaaaer* Hi© women were given twe dreaa©sf tws undersBcLrts, and tire :air2 of underwear* Vi/hen the winter season approached an© ther issra© ef clethes was given. *t t^is time shoos were given* Ihey were made ef heavy red leather and were known &s one,f« She slave quarters en the /felcnsl1 jj plantation were located "behind the /Lionel** . . L ;n* All wore nr-do of logs* The chinks in the walls were filled with mid if© keep the A^r out* fhe floors were ef wood in order to protect the occupants from the dampness* ?ii oi;r furnishings v/ore a crade "bed and sevaral benches* All cosking was den© at the l:.rj" fireplace in the roar of the one r©oia# Whga Colonel D© Binionfs wife di$& ha divided his slaves aj&ong the children. r;;. "3ash was given to her former plajnato wh© was at the time married and living in J.rrclton, Georgia* She was very n9an and often punished her "by "beating her ©n h^r fore- ar.id for the slightest offense* At other times she made her h&sfcand whip her {Mrs^msh) •Jii .^r bare back with a cowhide whip* Mrs* Hash says that her young Mis tress thought tlirt her husband was boing intimate with her and s© she constantly boat and mistreated . r. On one occasion all of the hair ©n her head(which was long and straight^ was cmt ire; her head "by the yoang mistress* \ F©r a while %s* Hush worked in the fields where she pi ©wed and hsed th© along with the other slaves, later she worked in the mapatars house where she served 00£ :s :aid and where she helped with the cooking* She was ©ften hired out t© the ©ther planters in the vicinity* She says that she liked this hecsna.se she always received >ttor treat aent than she did at her own home* $h©se persons tfh© hired her ©ften gave - t clothes as she never received a sufficient sm©ant from her ©ra. master* ^------v. The feed was almost $he same here as it had bean at the ©ther plantation* -t the end ©f each week she and her fellew slaves were given alflittle bac©af vegetables* :id rome c©rn ^eal* This load to last f©r a certain length of time* If it was all —utrtr $*% j^ * or £> cculd» In such m emergency the ether slaves usually shared with the mfertaaata ThQTQ was very little illnoss on the plantation whera **rs* Hash lived* pr;vocally the only nedgcine ^VQr used was caster oil and turpentine* 3aae #f the slaves v.c.it to the weeds and gathered roots and her¥s freia which they made their own teaiea and m^cinos» Aocer&inc te Wrs^ Rush the the first ef the nent£h was always sale Am f#r :.v e nnd horses* She was sold en one ef those cays from her aaster in Carrrelton te on :>• Morris, whe lived in Hewaan^ Ga# Mr* Morris paid f|f# $lltO»00 for her* She rr.*.inod with hi» for a short while and was later sold to one I3r« Hay who paid th* priei, cf ^1200*Q0« Both of these Masters were very l&ad to her flrat she was finally §$!& fcaac to U~r foraer master ,Hr« Archibald Burlce of Carrol ton, Ga« Mrs* Hash remembers that neh© of the slaves were allowed away fre» their plant- ation/ unless they held a pass from the£i# sister* Once when ah? was soing to town to * I, i\±V: sosae friends eh© was accosted fey a groaj of Paddle-Roll ore who gave har a seind ^il^jinc \#Ixon she was unafcle te show a paws from her master* * LIrs* Hash always slept in hov masters1 houses after leaving Celenel Ik Binioru i liii'rx alie was in Oarrelton hor yeung mistress eften mp.de her sleep undsr the boaae when :~.3 »r..s angry with hoijg^ Aft-rr the w?r was ev?r with and freedom was declared Ur* Bu:rlce ctntifflied to 11 llrs* Hash* After several unsueaeeafsl attempts she was finally atto to escape* --• :;it to another part ef the statr? where she carried and started a "aiaily ef &er Because of the cruel treatment that she received at the hands of oeae of her ""•": ro -Irs* Hush says that the n?r£ thoujfht of slavery aakr^s n^r Uoid 'boil/Tfcaa there : those^md^r whom sh© served, who treated her with kindness whom olio heldg mo malice vlnst* As far as Mrs* Rash toxowa the war"did very little damage to LIr# Barke* He d:L4 • t enlist as a soldier* 100105 Jfr - 232 i^sy* jt- # S . ¦ ^^^ahryod^^^^^ St EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW NANCY SETTLES (Richmond County) Augusta, Georgia. BY: (Mrs.) MARGARET JOHNSON AUGUSTA, GEORGIA ••v- I / 100105 ¦ , 233 ttANCT SERIES Ex-slave, Age 92 2511 Wheeler Road Nancy Settles was born 15 miles from Edgefield in South Carolina on the plantation of Mr, Berry Cochran. Until about five months ago, Nancy had been bed-ridden for three years. Her speech is slow, and at times it is diffi- cult to understand her, but her mind is fairly clear. Her eyes frequently filled with tears, her voice becoming so choked she could not talk. "My Marster and Missis, my husban* and eight of my chaps done lef me. De Laasd mus be keepin* me here fur some reason* Dis here chile is all I got lef." the "Chile* refer- red to was a woman about 69. "My fust chap was born in slavery. Me and my husband lived on diffunt plantashuns till after Freedom come. My Ma and my Pa lived on diffunt places too. My Pa uster come evy Sadday evenin* to chop wood out uv de wood lot and pile up plenty fur Ma till he come agin. On Wensday evenin% pa uster come after he been huntin* and bring in possum and coon. He sho could get »em a plenty. "Ma, she chop cotton and plow, and I started choppin* cotton when I wuz twelve years old. When I was a gal I sure wuz into plenty devilment." "What kind of devilment?" "Lawdy Miss, evy time I heayd a fiddle, my feets iesf got to dance and dancin* is #avilm*nt» But I ain't •lowed to / / / dance nothin* but de six-handed reel. "I uster take my young Kisses to school ev*y day, but de older Misses went to boadin* school and come home ev»y Friday an* "s" s&i went hack on Monday* No ma.'em, I never learn to read and write hut I kia spell some." "Nancy, did you go out at night and were you ever caught by the patrol?" "No, ma'am, I never wuz caught by de patterbl; my Pa wuz the one I was seart uv." "Did you always have enough to eat, and clothes to wear?* "Yes ma'am, Marster put out a side uv meat and a barrul o' meal and all uv us would go and git our rations fur te week." "Suppose some one -took nore than his share, and the supply ran short," "Lawd Ma'am, we knowed betterfn to do dat kinder thing. Everybody, had er garden patch an* had plenty greens and taters and all dat kinder thing, De cloth fur de slave close wuz all made on the place and Missis see to mekkin* all de elose we wear." "My Missis died endurin' of de war, but Marster he live a long time* Yes, Ma*am, we went to Church an to camp, meetin1 too. We set up in de galley, and ef dey too many uv us, we set in de back uv de» church, \ Camp meetin* wuz de bes*. Before Missis died I wuz nussin» my young miss baby, and I ride in de white foke»a kerrage to camp meetin* groun* and carry de baby, Lawdy, I seen de white folks and de slaves too shoutin* an gittin* •ligion plenty times." "Nancy, were the slaves on your place ever whipped?" *Yes*m sometimes when de wouldn* mine, but Marster allus -3- ^' whip 'em hissef , be ain't let nobody else lay er finger on bis slaves but him.) I heayd 'bout slaves been whipped but I tink €e wuz whipped mostly cause de Marsters could whip »em." "Nancy do you know any ghost stories, or did you ever see a ghost?" drumt" "No, Ma*am, I ain't never see a ghos1 but I heayd de "What drum did you hear - war drums?" "No, ma'am de drum de little man beats down by Rock Crick* Some say he is a little man whut wears a cap and goes down the crick beat- ing a drum befo' a war. He wuz a Revolushun drummer, and cum back to beat the drum befo' de war. But some say you can hear de drum 'most any spring now. Go down to the Crick and keep quiet and you hear Brrr, Brrr, Bum hum, louder and louder and den it goes away. Some say dey hav' seen de little man, but I never seen him, but I heayd de drum, 'fo de war, and ater dat too* There was a white man kilt his self near our place. He uster play a fiddle, and some time he come back an play. I has heayd him play his fiddle, but I ain't seen him. Some fokes say dey is seen him in the wood playin' and walkin' 'bout." *Nancy I am glad you are better than you were the last time I came to see you*" "Yes, Ma'am, I is up now. I prayed to God and tell Him I my trouble and he helped me get about again. This po chile uv mine does what she kin to pay de rent and de Welfare gives us a bit to eat but I sho do need er little wood, cause we is back on de rent and my chile Jes scrap •bout to pick up trash wood and things to burn.* oiom)s 286 PIANTATIOH LIES as viewed "dy. ex-slave WIIX SHEETS 1290 W. Broad Street Athens, Georgia. Written "by: Sadie £. Hornshy Athens Edited hy: Sarah H. Ball Athens Leila Harris and John H. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers* Project, Augusta, Georgia. 100093 wu7 WILL SHEETS Ex-Slave - Age 76 Old Will Sheets readily complied with the request that he tell of his experiences during slavery days. "No'm I don't mind, its been many a long day since anybody axed me to talk *bout things dat far "back* but I laks to have somebody to talk to * cause I can't git 'bout no more since I los* both of iny footses, and I gits powerful lonesome sometimes. WI was borned in Oconee County, not far f1 tan whar Bishop is now. It warn*t nothin1 but a cornfield, way back in dem times. Ma was Jane Southerland 'fore she married my pa. He was Tom Sheets. Lawsy Misst I don't know whar dey come f'um. As far as I knows, dey was borned and raised on deir Marsters' plantations. Bar was seven of us chilluns. I was de oldes'; James, Joe, Speer, Charlie, and Ham was my brudders, and my onlies* sister was Stances. "You ax me 'bout my gram'ma and gram'pa? I can't tell you nothin1 fall 'bout *em. I jus* knows I had 'em and dat's all. You see Ife was a house gal and de mos* I seed of her was when she come to de cabin at night; den us chilluns was too sleepy to talk. Soon as us et, us dropped down on a pallet' and went fast asleep. Niggers is a sleepyheaded set. ttI was a water boy, and was 'spected to tote water f*um de spring to de house, and to de hands in de fiel'. I helped Mandy, one of de colored gals, to drive de calves to de pasture and I toted *age 2. 238 in a little wood and done little easy jobs lak dat. Lawsy Miss! I never seed no money 'til atter de War. If I had a had any money what could I have done wid it, when I couldn't leave dat place to spend it? ttDere ain't much to tell 'bout what little Nigger chillun done in slavery days. Dem what was big enough had to wuk, and dem what warn't, played, slep' and scrapped. Little Niggers is had as game chickens 'bout fightin1. De quarters whar us lived was log cabins chinked wid mud to keep out de rain and wind. Chimblies was made out of fiel* rock and red clay. I never seed a cabin wid more dan two rooms in it. "Beds warn* t fancy dem days lak dey is now; leastwise I didn't see no fancy ones. All de beds was corded; dey had a head- board, but de pieces at de foot and sides was jus* wide enough for holes to run de cords thoo', and den de cords was pegged to hold 'em tight. Nigger chillun slep1 on pallets on de flo' • •Marse Jeff Southerland was a pore man, but he fed us all us could eat sicfa. as turnips, cabbages, collards, green corn, fat meat, cornbread, 'taters and sometimes chicken. Yes Ma'am, chicken dinners was sorter special. Us didn't have 'em too often. De cookin' was all done at de big house in a open fireplace what had a rack crost it dat could be pulled out to take de pots off de fire. 'Fore dey started cookin', a fire was made up ready and waitin'; den de pots of victuals was hung on de rack and swung in de fire- place to bile. Baking was done in skillets. Us cotched rabbits tage 3. 239 three and four at a time in box traps sot out in de plum orchard. Sometimes us et 'em stewed wid dumplin's and sometimes dey was jus* plain biled, but us laked 'em bes' of all when dey was fried lak chickens* "Oh! dem 'possums'. How I wisht I had one right now. My pa used to ketch 40 or $0 of rem a winter. Atter dey married, Ma had to stay on wid Marse Jeff and Pa was '"bliged to keep on livin* wid Marster Marsh Sheets. His marster give him a pass so dat he could come and stay wid Ma at night atter his wuk was done, and he fotched in de 'possums. Dey was baked in de white folkses kitchen wid sweet 'tatoes 'roun* *em and was barbecued sometimes. Us had fishes too what was mighty good eatin'. Dere warn't but one gyarden on de plantation. "Slave chillun didn* t wear nothin' in summer but shirts what looked lak gowns wid long sleeves. Gals and boys was dressed in de same way when dey was little chaps. In winter us wore shirts made out of coarse cloth and de pants and little coats was made out of wool. Be gals wore wool dresses." He laughed and saids "On Sunday us jus' wore de same things. Did you say shoes? lawsy Misst I was eight or nine 'fore I had on a pair of shoes. On frosty rnornin's when I went to de spring to fetch a bucket of water, you could see ray feet tracks » in de frost all de way dar and back. "Miss Carrie, my Mist'ess, was good as she knowed how to be. Marse and Mist'ess had two gals and one boy, Miss Anna, Miss Callie, and Marster Johnny. ?age 4. 240 •Marse Jeff was a good man; he never whupped and slashed his Niggers. Kb Ma*am, dere warn* t nobody whupped on Marse Jeff's place dat I knows 'bout. He didn't have no overseer. Dere warn't no need for one 'cause he didn't have so many slaves but what he could do de overseein* his own self. Marse Jeff jus* had 'bout four mens and four 'oatan' slaves and him and young Marse Johnny wukked; in de fiel* 'long side of de Niggers. Dey went to de fiel' by daybreak and come in late at night. "When Marse Jeff got behind wid his crop, he would hire slaves f'um other white folkses, mostly f'um Pa*s marster, dat's » how Pa come to know my Ma. "Dere was 'bout a hunderd acres in our plantation countin' de woods and pastures. Itey had 'bout three or four acres fenced in wid pine poles in a plum orchard. Dat' s whar dey kep* de calves. *Dere was a jail at Watkinsvilla, but Marse Jeff never had none of his slaves put in no jail. He didn^t have so many but what he could make 'em behave. I never seed no slaves sold, but I seed 'em in a wagon passin* by on deir way to de block. Marse Jeff said dey was takin* 'em a long ways off to sell 'em. Dat's why dey was a-ridin* • "Miss Anna larned Ma her A.B.C's. She could read a little, but she never larned to write. "Slaves went 4o de white folkses church if dey went a fall. I never could sing no tune. I'se lak my Ma; she warn't no singer. Dat's how come I can't tell you 'bout de songs what dey sung den. X 'members de fus' time I seed anybody die; I was *bout eight years old, and I was twelve 'fore I ever seed a funeral. Ho Ma'am, us chilluns page 5. 241 didn't go to no baptizing - Ma went, but us didn't. MDidn' t none of Marse Jeff's Niggers run off to no North, but I heared of a Nigger what did on de place whar my Pa was at. De « only thing I knov/ed what might a made him run to de North was dat Niggers thought if dey got dar dey would be in Heb*en. Dem patte- rollers was soiaapin1 else. I he are d folkses say dey would beat de daylights mos? out of you if dey cotched you widout no pass. Us lived on de big road, and I seed 'em passin1 mos1 anytime. I mos* know dere was plenty trouble twixt de Niggers and de white folkses. Course I never heared tell of none, but Vm sho* dere was trouble jus* de same,11 he slyly remarked. *Marse Jeff wukked dem few Niggers so hard dat when dey got to deir cabins at night dey was glad to jus1 rest. Dey all knocked off f'am wuk Sadday at 12 o'clock. De *omans washed, patched, and cleaned up de cabins, and de mens wukked in dey own cotton patches what Marse Jeff giTe 'em. Some Niggers wouldn't have no cotton patch ' cause dey was too lazy to wuk. But dey was all of ' em right dar Sadday nights when de frolickin' and dancin* was gwine on. On Sundays dey laid 'round and slep* • Some went to church if dey wanted to. Marster give 'em a pass to keep patterollers f'um beatin' 'em when dey went to church. "Us chilluns was glad to .see Chris'mas time come •cause us had plenty to eat den; sich as hogshead, backbones, a heap of cake, and a little candy. Us had apples what had been growed on de place and stored away special for Chris'mas. Marse Jeff bought some Page 6. 242 lallahoe, dat was syrup, and had big old pones of lightbread baked for us to sop it up wid. What us laked best 'bout Chris*mas was de good old hunk of cheese dey give us den and de groundpeas. Don't you know what groundpeas is? Dem's goobers (peanuts). Such a good time us did have, a-parchin* and a-eatin' deia groundpeas* If dere was oranges us didn't git none. Iferse Jeff give de grown folksss plenty of liquor and dey got drunk and cut de buck whilst it lasted. ¥ew Year* s Day was de time to git back to wuk. •»Marse Jeff was sich a pore man he didn11 have no corn shuckin* s on his placa, but he let his Uiggers go off to 'em and he went along hisself. Dey had a big time a-hollerin' and singin' and shuckin1 corn, Atter de shuckin* was all done dere was plenty to eat and drink - nothin' short *bout dem corn shuckin*s. "When slaves got sick, dey didn't have no doctor dat I knowed 'bout. Miss Carrie done de doctorin' herself. Snake root tea was good for colds and stomach mis'ries. Dey biled rabbit tobac- co, pine tops, and mullein together; tuk de tea and mixed it wid 'lasses; and give it to us- for diffunt ailments. If dey done dat now, folkses would live longer. Ha put asafiddy Casafetida) sacks 'round our necks to keep off sickness. "Ma said i*s was gwine to be freei Marse Jeff said us warn't, and he didn't tell us no diffunt 'til 'bout Chris'mas atter de War was done over wid in April. He told us dat us was free, but he wanted us to stay on wid him, and didn't none of his Niggers leave hia. Dey all wukked de same as dey had before dey was sot free only he paid 'em wages atter de War. Page 7. 243 *I Members dam Yankees comin' down de big road a-stealin* as dey went 'long. Dey swapped dieir /bags of bones for da white folkses good fat hosses. I never seed so many pore hosses at one time in my life as dey had. Dem Yankees stole all de meat, chickens, and good bedclothes and burnt down de houses. Dey done devilment a- plenty as dey went 'long. I •members Marse Jeff put one of his colored mens on his hoss wid a coffeepot full of gold and sont him to de woods. Atter dem Yankees went on he sont for him to fetck back de gold and da fine hoss what he done saved fta de sojar mens. *I heared tell of dem Ku Kluxers, but I never seed 'em. . Lawsy Miss! What did Niggers have to buy land wid ' til attar day wukked long enough for to make some money? Warn1t no schoolin' done •round whar us lived. I was 10 years old 'fore I aver sot foots in a schoolhouse. De nearest school was at Shady Grove. "It was a long time atter de War 'fore I married. Us didn't have no weddin'; jus1 got married. My old 'oman had on a calico dress - I disremembers what color. She looked good to me though. Us had 16 chilluns in all* four died. I got 22 grandehillun and one great grandchild. None of 'em has jobs to brag 'bout; one of 'em larned to run a store. *I think Mr. Lincoln was a great man, 'cause he sot us free. When I thinks back, it v/arn' t no good feelin' to ba bound down lak dat. Mr. President Davis wanted us to stay bound down. No Ma'am, I didn't lak dat Mr. Davis attar I knowed what he stood for. 'Course dere is plenty what needs to be bound down hard and fast so dey won't git in no trouble. -But for me I trys to behave myself, and I sho' had ruther be free. I guess atter all it's best dat slavery days is over. 'Bout dat Booker Washin* ton man, da Niggers what tuk him in said Sage 8. 244 he done lots of good for his race, and I reckon he did. "Somepim*'nother jus1 made me jine de church. I wanted ~ to do "better*n what I was doin*. De Lord says it's heat for folkses to he *ligious. *No Ife'am, I don*t •apect to live as long as my Ma lived, 1 cause dese legs of mine since I done lea* both of my footses wid blood pizen atter gangreen sot in, sho* gives me a passel of trouble. But de Lord is good to me and no teliin* how long I* se gwine to stay here. Miss, you sho* tuk me way hack yonder, and I laks to talk rbout it. Yes, Matam, dat1 s "been a long time hack.* 100138 245 ROBERT SHEPHERD 386 Areh Street It hens, Greorgia Written by: G-race MoCune (, Vv -f G Athens - Edited by: Sarah H. Ball Athens - Leila Harris Augusta - and John N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers* Project Residencies 6 & 7. 100138 ' 240 BOBEBT SHOTEBB Ex-Slave - Age 91. Robert lives in a small house so old and in such bad repair that a strong wind would no doubt tumble it down. Large holes in the roof can be plainly seen from the gateway* Bie neat yard, filled with old-fashioned flowers, is enclosed by a make«» shift fence of rusty wire sagging to the ground in places, and. the gate rocks on one hinge* There was some evidence that a porch had extended across the front of the cottage, but it is entirely gone now and large rocks serve as steps at the doorway* Knocks and calls at the fronts of the house were un- answered and finally Robert was found working in his garden behind the house. He is a tiny old man, and his large sun hat made him seem smaller than he actually was. He wore a clean but faded blue shirt and shabby gray pants much too large for him. His shoes. bound to his feet with strips of cloth, were so much too large that it was all he could do to shuffle along. He removed his hat and revealed white hair that contrasted with his black face, as he smiled in a friendly way. "Good morning, Missy! How is you?* was his greeting. Despite his advanced age, he keeps his garden in excellent condition. Not a blade of grass was to be seen. Asked how he managed to keep it worked so efficiently he proudly answered: "Well Miss, I jus* wuks in it some evvy day dat oomes *cept Sundays and, when you keeps right up wid it dat way, it ain't so hard* Jus* *. 247 look *round youj Bonrt you see I got de bestest beans and squashes 'round here, and down under 3em Hater vines, I kin tell you, dem roots is jus* full of ftaters. My £Ld ffiarster done larnt me how to gyarden. He allus made us raise lots of gyarden sass such as: beans, peas, rcas'ln1 ears, collards, turnip greens, and ingons (onions)* For a fact, dere was Jus* *bout all de kinds of vegrtables us knowed anything 'bout dem days right dar in our Marster*s big old gyarden, Dere was big patches of *taters, and in dem wheat fields us growed enough to make breed for all de folks on dat dere plantation. Ife sho^ did have plenty of mighty good somepin fc*eat* *I would ax you to come in and set down in my house to talk,* he said, *but I don't 'spect you could climb up dem dere rocks to my door, and dem*s all de steps I got** When Robert called to his daughter, who lived next door, and told her to bring out some chairs, she suggested that the interview take place on her porch* *Itfs shady and cool on my porch,* she said, * and Pa's done been a-diggin' in his gyarden so long he's plum tuckered out; he needs to set down and rest." After making her father comfortable, she drew up a bucket of water from the well at the edge of the porch and, after he had indulged in a long drink of the fresh water, he began his story* **I was, borned on Marster Joe Echols* plantation in Oglethorpe County, 'bout 10 miles from Lexin'ton, Georgy. Mammy was Cynthia Echols 'fore she married up wid my daddy. He was Peyton Shepherd* Atter Pappy and Mammy got married, Old Marse Shepherd sold Pappy to Marse Joe Echols so as dey could stay together* "Marse Joe, he had three plantations, but he didnH live on none of 'em. He lived in Lexin*ton. He kept a overseer on « each one of his plantations and dey had better be good to his Niggers, or else Marse Joe would shof git *em *way from dar. He never ' lowed 'em to wuk us too hard, and in bad or real cold weather us didn't have to do no outside wuk *cept evvyday chores what had to be done, come rain or shine, lak milkin', tendin* de stock, fetehin* in wood, and things lak dat. He seed dat us had plenty of good somepin t'eat and all de clothes us needed. Us was lots better off in dem days dan us is now* *01d Marster, he had so many Niggers dat he never knowed 'em all. One day he was a-ridin» *long towards one of his plantations and he met one of his slaves, named William, Marse Joe stopped him and axed him who he was. William said: 'Why Marster, I'se your Nigger. Don*t you know me?' Den Marster, he jus* laughed and said: 'Well, hurry on home when you gits what you is gwine atter.* He was in a good humor dat way most all de time. I kin see him now a-ridinf dat little hoss of his*n what he called Button, and his little fice dog hoppin* 'long on three legs right side of de hoss* No Ma,am, dere warn't, nothin* de matter widdat little dog; walkin* on three legs was jus* his way of gittin* 'round. "Marster never let none of de slave chillun on his plantation do no wuk 'til dey got fifteen • dat was soon 'nough, he said. On all of his plantations dere was one old *oman dat didn*t have nothin* else to do but look atter and, cook for de nigger chillun whilst dey mammies was at wuk in de fields* Aunt Tiney tuk keer of us. She had a big old horn what she blowed.when it was time for us to eat, and us knowed better dan to git so fur off us couldn't hear dat horn, for Aunt Viney would sho* tear us up. Marster had done told her she better fix us plenty t*eat and give it to us on time. Dere was a great long trough what went plum ?cross de yard, and dat was whar us et. For dinner us had peas or some other sort of veg'tables, and combread. Aunt Tiney crumbled up dat bread in de trough and poured de vegetables and pot-likker over it. Den she blowed de horn and chillun come a-runnin' from ewy which away. If us et it all up, she had to put more victuals in de trough. At nights, she crumbled de combread in de trough and poured buttermilk over it. Us never had nothin* but combread and buttermilk at night* Sometimes dat trough would be a sight. * cause us never stopped to wash our hands, and 'fore us had been eatin* more dan a minute or two what was in de trough would look lak de red mud what had come off of our hands. Sometimes Aunt Viney would fuss at us and make us clean it out* "Dere was a big sand bar &>own on de crick what made a fine place to play,% and wadin* in de branches was lots of fan. Us frolicked up and down dem woods and had all sorts of good times - anything to keep away from Aunt Viney 'cause she was sho' to have us fetchin* JjLJgood or sweepin* de yards if us was handy whar she could find us. If us was out of her sight she never bothered 'bout dem &? 250 yards and things. Us was skeered to answer dat horn when us got in Marster's 'bacco. He raised lots of 'bacco and rationed it out to mens, but he never 'lowed chillun to have none 'til dey was big enough to wuk in de fields. Us found out how to git in his 'bacco house and us kept on gittin' his 'bacco 'fore it was dried out 'til N he missed it. Den he told Aunt Viney to blow dat horn and call up all de chillun. I'se gwine to whup ewy one of 'em, he would 'clare. Atter us got dere and he seed dat green 'bacco had done made us so sick us couldn't eat, he jus' couldn't beat us. He jus* laughed and said: 'It's good enough for you.' *Aunt Martha, she done de milkin' and helped Aunt Nancy cook for de slaves. hey had a big long kitchen up at de big house whar de overseer lived. De slaves what wuked in de field never had to do deir own cookin'. It was all done for 'em in dat big old kitchen. Dey cooked some of de victuals in big old washpots and dere was sho* a plenty for all. All de cookin' was done in big fireplaces what had racks made inside to hang pots on and dey had big old ovens for bakin*, and thick iron skillets, and long-handled fryin' pans. You Jus* can't 'magine how good things was cooked dat way on de open fire. Nobody never had no better hams and other meat dan our Marster kept in dem big old smokehouses, and his slaves hadmeat jus' lak white folks did. Dem cooks knowed dey had to cook a plenty and have it ready when it was time for de slaves to come in from de fields. Miss Ellen, she was de overseer's wife, went out in de kitchen and looked over evvything to 6. 251 see that it was all right and den she blowed de bugle. When de slaves heared dat bugle, dey come in a-singin* from de fields. Dey was happy ?cause dey knowed Miss Illen had a good dinner ready for*'em. "De slave quarters was long rows of log cabins wid chimblies made out of sticks and red mud. Dem chimblies was all die time ketchin* fire, Dey didn't have no glass windows. For a window, dey jus* cut a openin* in a log and fixed a piece of plank 'cross it so it would slide when dey wanted to open or close it. Doors was made out of rough planks, beds was rough home-made frames nailed to de side of de cabins, and mattresses was coarse, home-wove ticks filled wid wheat straw. Dey had good home-made kivver. Dem beds slept mighty good. **Bere warn't many folks sick dem days, 'specially 'mongst de slaves. When one did die, folks would go 12 or 15 miles to de buryin'. Marster would say: 'Take de mules and wagons and go but, mind you, take good keer of dem mules.' He never seemed to keer if us went - fact was, he said us ought to go. If a slave died on our place, nobody went to de fields 'til atter de buryin'. Marster never let nobody be buried 'til dey had been dead 24 hours, and if dey had people from some other place, he waited 'til dey could git dar. Ha said it wara't right to hurry 'em off into de ground too quick atter dey died. Dere wara't no undertakers dem days. De homefolks jus* laid de corpse out on de eoolin* board 'til de coffin was made. Lordy Miss! Ain't you never seed one of dem eoolin' boards? A eoolin* board 7. 252 was made out of a long straight plank raised a little at de head, and had legs fixed to make it set straight* Dey wropt •oman corpses in windin* sheets. Uhele Squire, de man what done all de wagon wuk and buildin* on our place, made coffins, Dey was jus* plain wood boxes what dey painted to make *em look nice. White preachers conducted de funerals, and most of de time our own Marster done it, * cause he was a preaeher his self • When de funeral was done preached, dey sung Harps From De Tomb, den dey put de coffin in a wagon and driv slow and keer- ful to de graveyard. De preacher prayed at de grave and de mourners sung, I*se Born To Die and Lay Pis Body Down» Dey never had no out- side box for de coffin to be sot in, but dey put planks on top of de coffin 'fore dey started shovellin* in de dirt* "Fourth Sundays was our meet in* days, and ewybody went to church • Us went to our white folks* church and rid in a wagon Miind deir car*lage» Dere was two Baptist preachers - one of *em was Mr. John Gibson and de other was Mr. Patrick Butler* Marse Joe was a Methodist preacher hisself, but dey all went to de same church together. De Niggers sot in de gallery* When dey had done give de white folks de sacrament, dey called de Niggers down from de gallery and give dem sacrament too. Church days was sho* *nough big meetin* days 'cause evvybody went. Dey preached three times a day; at eleven in de mornin* at three in de evenin*, and den again at night. De biggest meetin* house crowds was when dey had baptizin1, and dat was right often. Dey dammed up de crick on Sadday so as it would be deep enough on Sunday, and 253 dey done de baptizin* 'fore dey preached de three o'clock sermon. At dem baptizin's dere was all sorts of shoutin*, and dey would sing Roll Jordan, Bo41, De Livin* Waters, and Lord I*se Gomiri* Home* *When de craps was laid by and most of de hardest wuk of de year done up, den was camp-meetin* time, *long in de last of July and sometimes in August, Dat was when us had de biggest times of all* Dey had great big long tables and jus* everything good t*eat. Marster would kill five or six hogs and have *em carried dar to be barbecued, and he carried his own cooks along. Atter de white folks et dey fed de Niggers, and dere was allus a plenty for all, Marster sho' looked atter all his Niggers good at dem times. When de camp-meetin* was over, den come de big baptizin': white folks fust, den Niggers* One time dere was a old slave 'ornan what got so skeered when dey got her out in de crick dat somebody had to pull her foots out from under her to git her under de water. She got out from dar and testified dat it was de devil a-hoIdin* her back, **De white ladies had nice silk dresses, to wear to church. Slave *omans had new calico dresses what dey wore wid hoopskirts dey made out of grapevines, Dey wore poke bonnets wid ruffles on 'em and, if de weather was sort of cool, dey wore shawls. Marster allus wore his linen duster. Dat was his white coat, made cutaway style wid long tails. De cloth for most all of de clothes was made at home. Marse Joe raised lots of sheep and de wool was used to make cloth for de winter clothes. Us had a great long loom house whar some of de slaves didn't Otz. do nothin** but weave cloth. Some cyarded bats, some done (lespiaain*, and dere was more of *em to do de sewin** Miss Ellen, she looked atter •*¦' ..... all dat, and she cut out most of de clothes* She seed dat us had plenty to wear. Sometimes Marster would go to &e sewin* house, and Mist*ess would tell him to git on *way from dar and look atter his own wuk, dst her and Aunt Julia could run dat loom house, Marster, he jus* laughed den and told us chillun what was hangin* round de door to jus* listen to dem *omans cackle. Oh, but he was a good old boss man, •Us had water buckets, called piggens, what was made out of cedar and had handles on de sides. Sometimes us sawed off little vinegar kegs and put handles on *em. Us loved to drink out of gourds. Dere was lots of gourds raised evvy year* Some of 'em was so big dey was used to keep eggs in and for lots of things us uses baskets for now* Dem little gourds made fine dippers* «Bem co rnshuckln* s was aho* 'nough big times. Ihen us got all de corn gathered up and put in great long piles, den de git tin* ready started. Why dem * omans cooked for days, and de mens would git de shoats ready to barbecue. Marster would send us out to git de slaves from de farms 'round about dar* "Be place was all lit up wid light*ood«knot torches and bonfires, and dere was *citement a-plenty when all de Niggers got to sing in* and shout in* as dey made de shucks fly* One of dem songs w«?nt somepin lak dis: 'Oh! my ha id, my pore bald. Oh I ay pore hsid is 'fected.* Dere warn't nothin* wrong wid our balds - dat was jus* our 10, 255 way of lettin* our overseer know us wanted some likker. Purty soon he would come 'round wid a big horn of whiskey, and tat made de *pore haid* well, but it warn't long 'fore it got wuss again, and den us got another horn of whiskey. When de corn was all shucked den us et all us could and, let me tell you, dat was some good, eatin's* Den us danced de rest of de night. "Next day when us all felt so tired and bad, Marster he would tell us *bout stayin* up all night, but Mist*ess tuk up for us, and dat tickled Old Marster. Ee jus* laughed and said: *Will you listen to dat 'oman?' Den he would make some of us sing one of dem songs us had done been singin' to dance by. It goes sort of lak dis: 'Turn your pardner 'round! Steal 'round de comer, 'cause dem Johnson gals is hard to beatI Jus* glance 'round and have a good time! Hem gals is hard to find!' Dat's jus* 'bout all I can ricolleet of it now. *Us had big 'possum hunts, and us sho' cotehed a heap of 'em. De gals cooked *em wid 'taters and dey jus* made your mouth water. I sho* wish I had one now. Babbits was good too* Marster didn't 'low no hunt in* wid guns, so us jus' took dogs when us went hunt in'. Babbits was kilt wid sticks and roeks *eept when a big snow come. Dey was easy to track to dey beds den, and us could jus* reach in and pull 'em out. INhen us cotch 'nough of 'em, tis had big rabbit suppers. *De big war was 'bout over when dem yankees come by our place and jus' went through everything. Dey called all de slaves together and told fem dey was free and didn't b'long to nobody no more, Xi. 250 and said de slates could take all dey wanted from de smokehouses and barns and de big house, and eould go when amd whar dey wanted to go. Dey tried to hand us out all de meat and hams, but us told 'em us warn't hongry, *cause Marster had allus done give us all us wanted. When dey couldn't make none of us take nothin', dey said it was de strangest thing dey had done ever seed, and dat dat men Ichols must have siio' been good to his Niggers. "When dem yankees had done gone off Marster come out to our place. He blowed de bugle to call us all up to de house* He couldn't hardly talk, 'cause somebody had done told him dat dem yankees couldn't talk his Niggers into stealin* nothin*. Marster said he never knowed 'fore how good us loved him. He told us he had done tried to be good to us and had done de best he could for us and dat he was mighty proud of de way ewy one of us had done 'haved our- selfs. He said dat de war was over now, and us was free and could go anywhar us wanted to, but dat us didn't have to go if us wanted to stay dar. He said he would pay us for our wuk and take keer of us if us stayed or, if us wanted to wuk on shares, he would 'low us to wuk some land dat way. A few of dem Niggers drifted off, but most of 'em stayed right dar 'til dey died." A sad note had come into Robert's voice and he seemed to be almost overcome by the sorrow aroused by his reminiscences. His daughter was quick to perceive this and interrupted the conversation: "Please Lady," she said. *Pa's too feeble to talk any more today. Can't 18. 257 you let him rest now and come back again in a day or two? Maybe he will be done 'membered tMngs he couldn't call back today.* The front door was open when Robert*s house was next visited, and a young girl answered the knock. ttCome in,n she said* The little house was as dilapidated in the interior as it was on the outside. Bright June sunshine filtered through the many gaps in the roof arousing wonder as to how the old man managed to remain inside this house during heavy rains. The room was scrupulously clean and neat. In it was a very old iron bed, a dresser that was minus Its mirror, two chairs, and a table, all very old and dilapidated. The girl laughed when she called attention to a closet that was padlocked. "Dat*s whar Grandpa keeps his rations," she said, and then volunteered the information: "He's gone next door to stay wid Ma, whilst I clean up his house. He can't stand no dust, and when I sweeps, I raises a dust." The girl explained a IE inch square aperture in the door, with a sliding board fastened on the inside by sayings "Dat's Grandpa's peep-hole. He allus has to see who's dar 'fore he unfastens his door." Robert was sitting on the back porch and his daughter was ironing Just inside the door. Both seemed surprised and happy to see the interviewer and the daughter placed a comfortable chair for her as far as the dimensions of the small,porch would permit from the heat of the charcoal bucket and irons. Remembering that his earlier rec- ollections had ended with the close of the Oivil War, Robert started telling about the days "atter freedom had done come." ••lie, I stayed right on &ar *til atter Marster die&* He was sick a long, long time, and one morning Old Mist*ess, she called to me. 'Robert,* she said, 'you ain*t gwine to have no Marster long, 'cause he*s 'bout gone.* I called all de Niggers up to de big house and when dey was all in de yard, Mist*ess, she said: 'Robert, you been wifl us so long, you kin come in and see him 'fore he's gone for good.* When I got in dat room I knowed de Lord had done laid His hand on my good Old Marster, and he was a-goin* to dat Home he used to preach to us niggers *bout, and it ?peered to me lak my heart would jus* bust. When de last breath wai done gone, I went back out in de yard and told de other Niggers, and dere was sho' oryin* and prayln* *mongst *em, 'cause all of *em loved Marster. Dat was sho* one big funeral. Mist*ess said she wanted all of Marster*s old slaves to go, 'cause he loved *em so, and all us of/went. Some what had done been gone for years come back for Marster % funeral, "Next day, atter de funeral was over, Mist*ess, she said: 'Robert, I want you to stay on wid me 'cause you know how fee wanted his wuk done.* Den Mist'ess' daughter and her husband, Mr* Dickenaon, come dar to stay. None of de Niggers laked dat Mr. Dickenson and so most of *em left and den, tbout 2 years atter Marster died, Mist*ess went to *Lanta (Atlanta) to stay wid another of her daughters, and she died dar. When Mist*ess left, I left too and come on here to Athens, and I been here ever since. U. 259 *^©re warn*tfflnoh town here den, and 'most all •round dis here place -was woods, I wuked 'bout a ytar for Mr. John MeGune's fambly on de old Pither place, den 1 went to wuk for Mr.. Manaaaas B» McGinty. He was a cyarpenter and built most of de fine houses what was put up here dam days. I got de lumber from him to build ay house* Dere warn't but two other houses 'round here den. My wife, Julie, washed for de white folks and helped 'em do deir housewak. Our chillun used to come bring my dinner* Us had dem good old red peas cooked wid side meat in a pot in de fireplace, and ashcake to go wid rem. Bat was eat in's. Julie would rake out dem coals and klvver 'em wid ashes, and den she would wrop a pone of cornbread dough in collard or cabbage leaves and put it on dem ashes and rake more ashes over it. You had to dust off de bread 'fore you et it, but. ashcake was mighty good. folks what lived off of it didn't git sick lak 4ey does now a-eatin* dis white flour bread all de time. If ua had any peas left from dinner and supper, Julie would mash 'em up right soft, make little cakes what she rolled in corn meal, and fry *em for breakfast. Dem sausage cakes made out of left-over peas was mighty fine for breakfast. / "When de chillun started out wid my dinner, Julie allus made two of 'em go together and hold hands all de way so dey wouldn't git lost. Now, little chillun jus* a few years old goes anywhar dey wants to. folks don't lock atter dey chillun lak dey ought to, and t'ain't right. Ben, when night come, chillun went right off to bed. Now, dey jus' runs 'round 'most all night, and it sho* is 15* £60 a-ruinin' dis young genrayahfcn (generation). Bey don't take no keer of deirselfs. My own grandehillun is ie same way. *I left Mr. McGinty and went to wuk for Mr. Bloomfield in de mill* Mr, Bill Dootson was our boss, and he was sho* a good man. Dem was good times. I miked inside de mill and 'round de yard too, and sometimes dey sont me to ride de boat wid de cotton or sometimes wid cloth, whatever dey was sending Dere was two mills den. One was down below de bridge on Oeonee Street, and de old check factory was t'other side of de bridge on Broad Street. Bey used boats to carry de eotton and de clotk from one mill to de other* "Missy, can you b'lieve it? I wuked for &8# a day and us paid for our home here. Dey paid us off wid tickets what us tuk to de commissary to git what us needed. Dey kept Jus* evvything dat anybody could want down dar at de comp'ny store. So us raised our nine chillun, give 'em plenty to eat and wear too and a good roof over deir haids, all on 68# a day and what Julie could make wuk in* for de white folks. 'Course things warn't high-prieed lak dey is now, but de main diff* unce is dat folks didn't have to have so many kinds of things to eat and wear den lak dey does now. Dere warn't nigh so many ways to throw money 'way den. "Dere warn't so many places to go; jus* church and church spreads, and Sundays, folks went buggy ridin'. De young Niggers, 'specially dem what was a-sparkin*, used to rent buggies and hosses 16. 261 from Mr. Selig Bernstein. He kept a big livery stable den and he had a hoss named Buckskin. Dat was de hoss what evvybody wanted •cause he was so gentle and didn't skeer de 'omans and ahilluns. Mr. Bernstein is a-livinf yit, and he is sho' a good man to do business wid» Missy, dere was lots of good white folks den. Most of dem old ones is done passed on. One of de best of 'em was Mr. Robert Chappell. He done passed on, but whilst he lived he was nighty good to evvybody and de colored folks sho' does miss him. He b'lieved in helpin' *em and he give *em several churches and tried his best to git 'em to live right. If.Mr. Robert Chappell ain't in Heb'en, dere ain't no use for nobody else to try to git dar. His granddaughter married Jedge Matthews, and folks says she is most as good as her granddaddy was." Robert chuckled when he was asked to tell about his vvieddim ••Miss," he said, "I didn't have no sho' 'nough* weddin' • Me and Julie jus' jumped over de broom in front of Marster and us was married. Dat was all dere was to it. Dat was de way most of de slave folks got married dem days. Us knowed better dan to ax de gal v;hen us wanted to git married. Us jus' told our Marster and he done de axin*. Den, if it was all right wid de gal, Marster called all de other Niggers up to de big house to see us jpmp over de broom. If a slave wanted to git married to somebody on another place, den he told Marster and his Marster wDuld talk to de gal's Marster. Whatever dey 'greed on was all right. If neither one of 'em would sell one of \ < 17. &<&» de slaves what wanted to git married, den dey let 'em go ahead and jump over de broom, and de man jus' ¥isited his wife on her Marster's place, mostly on Wednesday and Sadday niglits. If it was'a long piece off, he didn't git dar so often. Dey had to have passes den, 'cause de patterollers would git *em sho* if dey didn't. Dat meant a thrashing and dey didn't miss layin' on de stick, when dey cotch a Nigger. "Dese days, de boys and gals jus* walks off and don't say nothin* to nobody, not even to dey mammies and daddies. Now take \ ' ais daughter of mine - Callie is her name - she runned away when she | was 'bout seventeen. Dat day her mammy had done sont her wid de white folks' clothes. She had on brass-toed brogan shoes, a old / feded cotton dress dat was plum up to her knees, - dem days, long dresses was stylish - and she wore a old bonnet, she was totin* de clothes to Mrs. Reese and met up wid dat Davenport boy. Dey traips'd up to de courthouse, got a license, and was married 'fore me and Julie knowed nothin* 'bout it. Julie sho' did light out from hyar to go git Callie. She brung her back and kept her locked up in de house a long time 'fore she would let her live wid dat Nigger. **Us had our troubles den, but dey warn't lak de troubles us has now. Now, it seems lak dem was mighty good days back when Arch Street was jus' a path through de woods. Julie, she's done been gone 9 long time, and e.ll of our chillun's daid *cept three, and two of 'em *** 263 is done gone up north. Jus* me and my Callie and de grandchillun is all dat's left here. Soon I'ae gwine to be 'lowed to go whar Julie is and I*se ready any time, 'cause I done been here long *nough«* Hhen the visitor arose to take her departure Robert said: *Good-bye Missy, come back to see me and Callie again 'cause us laked your 'pearments (appearance) de fust time you was here* Jus* trust in de Lord, Miss, and He will take keer of you wherever you is.* al^ 100084 y TOM SIKGLETQN Athens, Georgia PLANTATION LIFE, A3 VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVl Written By: Sadie 3. Hornsby Research Worker Federal Writers* Project Athens, Georgia Edited By: Leila Harris Editor Federal Writers' Project Augusta, Georgia "» fT^V^i-r^s/ppi^T "-; x^^TVTf-ffW&P?' 00084 265 Ex-Slave, Age 94 Athens, Georgia Uncle Tom lives alone in a one room cabin, about two and one half miles from town, on Loop-de-Loop road, not far from the Brooklyn section of Athens. He states that he lives alone because: "I wuz raised right and de Niggers dis day and time ain't had no raisin'. I just can't be bothered wid havin' ?em 'round me all de time. Bey ain't my sort of folkses." Un- cle Tom says he will be 94 years old on May 15th of this year, but roany believe that he is much older. When asked if he felt like talking about his experiences and observances while he was a slave, he said: "I don't know, Missie; I got a pow'ful hurtin' in my chest, and I'm too old to 'member much, but you ax me what you want to know and I'll try to tell you. I wuz born in Lumpkin Gounty on Marster Joe Single- ton's place. My ma wuz named Nancy Early, and she belonged to Marster Joe Early what lived in Jackson County. My pa's name wuz Joe Singleton. I don't 'member much 'bout my brothers and sisters. Ma and Pa had 14 chilluh. Some of deir boys wuz me and Isaac, Jerf, Moses, and Jack; and deir gals wuz: Celia, Lau- ra, Dilsey, Patsey, I'rankie, and Elinor. Dese wuz de youngest > chillun. I don't 'member de fust ones. I don't ricollect noth- in' fall 'bout my grandma and grandpa, cause us wuz too busy to talk in de daytime, and at night us wuz so whupped out from hard wuk us just went off,to sleep early and never talked much -*-3 at no time. All I knows 'bout 'em is dat I heared folkses say my gran'pa wuz 107 years old when he died. Folkses don't live dat long now-a^-days. "De slave quarters wuz in rows and had two rooms and a shed. Dey had beds made out of poles fastened together wid pegs and 'cross *em wuz laid de slats what dey spread de wheat straw on. Us had good kivver 'cause our Marster wuz a rich man and he believed in takin' keer of his Niggers. Some put sheets dat wuz white as snow over de straw. Pern sheets wuz bilfed wid home-made soap what kept 'em white lak dat. Uader folkses put quilts over de straw. At de end of de slave quarters wuz de barns and cow sheds, and a little beyond dem wuz de finest pas- _Juiesl you ever seed wid clear water a-bubblin' out of a pretty spring, and runnin' thoo' it. Bar's whar dey turned de stock to graze.when dey warn't wukkin' 'em." When Tom was asked if he ever made any money, a mischie- vous* smile illumined his face. "Yes ma'am, you see I plowed dur- in* de day on old Marster's farm. Some of de white folks what didn't have many Naggers would ax.old M&rster to let us help on dey places. Us had to do dat wuk at night. On bright moonshiny nights, I would cut wood, fix fences, and sich lak for 'em. Wid de money dey paid me I bought Sunday shoes and a Sunday coat and sich lak, cause I wuz a Nigger what always did lak to look good on Sunday. - 3 - "Yes ma'am, us had good clo'es de year 'round. Our summer clothes wuz white, white as snow. Old Marster said dey looked lak linen. In winter us wore heavy yarn what de women made on de looms. One strand wuz wool and one wuz cot- ton. Us wore our brogan shoes evvy day and Sunday too. Mars- ter wuz a merchant and bought shoes from.de tanyard. Howsomever, he had a colored man on his place what could make any kind of shoes. "Lawdyl Missie, us had ewythin' to eat; all kinds of greens, turnips, peas, 'tatoes, meat and chickens. Us wuz plumb fools 'bout fried chicken and chicken stew, so Marster 'lowed us to raise plenty of chickens, and sometimes at night us Nig- gers would git together and have a hee old time. No Ma'am, us didn't have no gyardens. Us didn't need none. Old Marster give us all de vittuls us wanted. . Missie, you oughta seed dem big old iron spiders what dey cooked in. 'Course de white folkses called 'em ovens. t De biscuits and blaokbjerry pies dey cooked,in spiders, dey wuz some thin' else. Oh*, don't talk 'bout dem 'pos- sums! Makes me ipngry just to think '.bout 'em. One night when pa and me went 'possum hunt in', I put a 'possum what us cotched in a sack and flung it 'cross my back. Atter us-started home dat 'possum chewed a hole in de sack and bit me square in de back. I 'member my pa had a little dog." Here he stopped talking and called a little hlack and white dog to him, and said: "He wuz -.4 °^V 'bout de size of dis here dog, and pa said he could natchelly jus1 make a 'possum de way he always found one so quick when us v/ent hunting" The old man sighed, and looking out across the field, continued: "Atter slav'ry days, Niggers turned dey chilluns loose, an' den de 'possums an* rabbits most all left;, and dere ain*t so many fishes left in de rivers neither." Tom could not recall much about his first master: "I wuz four year old when Marster Dr. Joe Singleton died. All I. 'members 'bout him; he wuz a big man, and I sho' wuz skeered of him. When he cotch us in de branch, he would holler at us and say: 'Gome out of dar 'fore you git sick.' Ee didn't 'low us to play in no water, and when he hollered, us lit a rag. Dere wuz 'bout a thousand acres in Marse .Joe's plantation, he owned a^oJJ^miijne_and a copper mine too. Old Marster owned 'bout 65 Niggers in all. He bought an' sold Niggers too. When Old Mars- ter wanted to send news, he put a-Nigger on a mule an' sont de message. "Atter Marse Joe died, old Mist'ess run de farm 'bout six years. Mist'ess* daughter, Miss Mattie, married Marster Fred Lucas, an' old Mist'ess sold her.share in de plantation den. My pa, my sister, an' me wuz sold on deblock at de sheriff*s sale. Durin* de sale my sister cried all de time, an* Pa rubbed his nan' over her head an' face, an' he said: 'Don't cry, you is gwine live wid young Miss Mattie.* I didn't cry none, 'cause *I didn't care. - 5 - Llarse Fred bought us, an' tuk us to Acnens to live, an' old Mist1ess went to live wid her ehilluns. "Marse Fred didnft have a vary big plantation; jus' f'bout 70 or 80 acres 1 guess, an1 he had T bout 25 Niters. he didnTt have no overseer. My pa wuz ae one in charge, an1 he tuk his orders from Marse Fred, den he went out to de farm, whar he seed dat ae Niggers carried fem out. Pa wuz de carriage ariver_too. It wuz his aelight to drive for Marster and Mistfess* "Marster and Mistfess had eight chillun: Miss Mattie, Miss Mary, Hiss Fannie, Hiss Senie, Mr. Dave, Mr* Joe, Mr. Frank ana Mr. Freddy. Dey lived in a big house, weather-boarded over logs, an1 de inside wuz ceiled. ""Marster an* Mist1ess siio1 wuz good to us Niggers. Us warnTt beat much. De onliest Nigger I 'member day v/hupped wuz Cicero. lie wuz a bad boy. My Marster never dia whup me but onct., Mist1 ess sont me up town to fetch her a spool of thread. I got to play inf marbles an* 'fore I knowed it, it wuz dinner time. 'unen. I got home, Mist1 ess y/uz mad snof Tnough. Iviarster cotch me anf wore me out. but Mist1 ess never touched me. I seed Niggers in de big jail at watkinsville anT in de calaboose in Athens. Yes Ma'aml I seed plenty of Niggers sold on de block in catkins- ' ville. I ricollects de price of one Nigger run up tov *gjj,000» . All de sellinT wuz done by ae sheriffs an1 de slave Marsters. TTMarster Fred Lucas sold his place whar he wuz livin1 in town to Major Cook, anT movea to his farm near Princeton Factory. ¦ ¦ '/''': ¦ '.' ".'¦'•' ". ¦'',"./ :¦:• =.."'. '"•.-::'.;•' ..:'¦: ';V:''.'.-:,' / ' t \'•'';'" ,:"'4 .>«jir.'.';lii ' ''-Jir'N- v, : v»rS Atter Major Cook got kilt in de far, Marsie Fred come «fea©k to town an* lived in his house again* "Wo Ma'am, aey warn't no schools for 'Niggers in slav'ry time. Mist'ess' daughters went to Lucy Oobb, Celia, my sister, wuz deir nurse, an* when all our little missies got grown, Gelia wuz de house gal. So when our little missies went to school dey come home an' lamt Celia how to read an' write. 'Bout two years atter freedom, she begun to teach school herself. "Us had our own churches in' town, an* de white f^>lkses furnished our preachers. Once dey baptised 75 in de river below de Cheek Factoryj white folkses fust. and Niggasrs last. iQhl dem patterrollersI Dey wuz rough mens. I heared ?em say dey would beat de siltiflin1'out of you, if dey coteh you widout no pass. "Yes Ma'am! dar always wuz a little trouble twixt de whit© folkses an'.Niggers;always a little. Heaps of de Niggers went Nawth. I wuz told some white men's livin' in town hyar helped 'em git away. My wife had six of 'erkinfolkses what got clean baek to Africa, an' dayfwrotc- back here from-dar* "Us haa parties an' dances at night. Sometimes Mist'ess let Celia wear some of de little missies' clo'es, 'cause she wanted her to outshine de other Nigger gals. Dey give us a week at Christ- mas time, an* Ghristmas day wuz a big day. Dey give us most ewy- thin*: a knot of candy as big as my fist, an' heaps of other good *..?:* things. At corn shuckin's Old Marster fetched a gallon keg of whiskey to de quarters an' passed it 'rount. Some just got tipsy an.' some got low down drunk, De onliest cotton pickin' us knowed 'bout wuz when us picked in de daytime, an' dey warn't no good time to dat. A Nigger can't even sing much wid his head all bent down piokin* cotton. "Folkses had fine times at weddin's dem days. Dar wuz more vittuls dan us could eat. Now dey just nan' out a little somethin'. De white folkses had a fine time too. Dey let de Niggers git married in deir houses. If it wuz bad weather, den tie weddin' wuz most genully in de hall, but if it wuz a pretty day, dey married in de yard. "I can't 'member much 'bout de games us played or de songs us sung. A few of de games wuz marbles, football, an' town ball. ?Bout dem witches, I don't know nothin'. Some of de folkses wore a mole foot 'roun' dey neck to keep bad luck away: some wore a* ^rabbit's foot fer sharpness, an' it sholy did fetch sharpness. I don't know nothin' 'tall 'bout Rawhead and Bloody Bones, but I heared tell he got -*"a<-^^ b'lieved dat Mr. Jeff. Davis wuz all right too. Booker Wash- in'ton give a speech here onct, an' I wuz dar, but de Niggers made sich a fuss over him I couldn't take in what he said. Asked what he thinks about slavery, now that it is over, he replied: "I think it is all right. God intended it. De white folks run de Injuns out, but dey is comin* back for shb'. God said every nation shall go to deir own land 'fore de end. "I just jined de church right lately. I had cut de buck when I wuz a young chap, and God has promised us two place's, heb* en anT hell. I thinks it would be scand'lbus for anybody to go to hell, so I *cided to jine up wid de crowd goin' to neb1en." After the interview, he called to a little Negro boy that had wandered into the house: "Mosesi gimme a drink of water! Fotch me a chaw of 'bacco, Missie done tuck me up de crick, down de branch, now she's a gwine 'roun'. Hurry! boy,' do as I say, gimme dat water. Nigger chillun, dis day an1 time, is too lazy to earn deir bread. I wuz sorry to see you eome, Missie 'cause my chest wuz a hurtin' so bad, but now I'se sorry to see you go." Out of breath, he was silent for a moment, then grinned and said: "I wuz just lookin' at de Injun on dis here nickle, you done gim- me. He looks so happy! Good-bye, Missie, hurry an' come back! You helped dis old Nigger lots, but my chest sho* do hurt." $ $ $ $ >jc $ * ^ofc^ $ j£atc #piiiiliyf^ ip^ &*%-*¦ 4r^fWk*'6$>i,. -VI lary A/€rswBid 100.03*7 He-search Worker Charlie 2^e Smith, Ex-slave 6? Interviewed Charlie lye Smith was born in Henry County, near Locust Grove, Georgia, on June 10, 1850 (as nearly as he can tell). His mother kept his age for him and had him tell it to her over and over when he was a little boy. !£he old fellow is well and rather alert, despite his eighty-six years. Mr. Jim Smith, of Henry County, was Charlie's owner and aooording to Charlie's version, "sho wuz a mighty good Mar- ster". Mr. Saith owned a large plantation, and also "around one hundred and fifty, to two hundred Darkies", Charlie recalls that the slaves were well treated, seldom "whupped", and never "onmercifully". "Ole Miss", too,^"powerful good" to the darkies, most especially to the "Chillun." Ihe old man related the following inoident in prtfof of Miss Hanoy's goodness. About every two weeks "ole Miss" would have "ole Uncle Jim" hake "a whole passel" of ginger cakes and tote 'em down to the cabins and jest pitch 'em out by de handfuls to de^ chillunJ" The old man smiled broadly as he concluded the ginger cake story and said, "Charlie allus got his share. Miss Fancy seed to that, kase I wuz one of ole Miss's best little darkies". The interviewer inquired as to how so many ginger cakes could have been baked so 2*74^ -a- 275 easily, and he replied that wole Marse" had a big rock-oven down at the spring about like what they boil syrup cane Juioe in today". The slaves on "Marse Jim's" place were allowed about four holidays a year, and a week at Christmas, to frolic. The amusements were dancing {"the break-down"), banjo playing, and quill blowing. Sometimes when the "patarol" was in a good humor, he would take about twenty-five or thirty "Nig- gers" and go fishing at night. This kind of fishing was mostly seining, and usually "they got plenty o» fish". I Charlie, true to his race, is quite superstitious and on many occasions "went into the cow lot on Christmas night and found the cows down on their knees *a-lowin". He also wit- nessed the "sun shoutin" on Christmas morning and "made shon to get up Jest in time to see the sun as it first "showed i itself." Here Charlie did some very special gesticulating Ito illustrate. The Negroes were required to go to Church on Sunday. They called it "gwine to meetin**, often leaving at sun up and walking ten or twelve miles to the meeting house, staying all day and late into the night. If "ole Marse" happened to be in a good humor on Sunday, he would let the^arkies use the nwaggins"and mules. The little *¦%#** 276 "Niggera" never went to meetinT as they were left at home to take care of the house and "nuss" the babies. There were no Sunday Schools in those days. JWhen the grown folks got hack late in the night, they often "had to do some tall Imoeking and "banging to get in the house— Tcause the chillun were so dead asleep, and layin1 all over the floor*. When asked if the slaves wouldn't he awfully tired and sleepy the next morning after they stayed .up so late, he replied that * they were nsho tired" but they had better turn out at four ofclock when ole Marse hlowed the horn?" They he added with a chuckle, "the field was. usually strowed with Niggers asleep in the cotton rows when they knocked off for dinner". "No, Misa, the Marster never give us no money (here he laughed), for we didn't need none. There wasnft nothing to buy, and we had plenty to eat and wear". Yes, Mr. Jim and Miss Nancy believed in whuppin' and kep the raw hide hanging by the back door, but none o1 Mr. Jim's Niggers evah got beat till dey bled". Charlie Tye recalls vividly when the Yankees passed through and graphically related the following incident. "The Yankees bassed through and caught "ole Marse" Jim and made him pull off ais boots and run bare-footed through a cane brake with half bushel of potatoes tied around his neck; then they made him \ ***** Q'*?'*? put his "boots hack on and carried him dovra to the mill and tied him to the water post. 33hey were getting ready to break his neck when one of Master's slaves, "ole Peter Smith", asked them if they intended to kill Marse Jim, and when they said wYesn, Peter choked up and said, *Well, please, sub, let me die wid ole larsei* Well, dem Yankees let ole Marse loose and leftJ Yes,6 Missy, dat's de truf 'case I've heered my daddy tell it many's the timeJ" Charlie is. not working at all now as he is too old and is supported by the&riffin Relief Association. For forty-five years he served as janitor in the various public schools of Griffin. Charlie Tye Smith East Solomon Avenue, Griffin, Georgia September 16, 1936. 2?8 286 Augusta Ave. Athens, Georgia PLAHTATIQH LIFE. A3 VIEWED BY AN SX-3LAVE vritten by: Miss Grace McCune Hesearch Worker Federal Writers1 Project Athens, Georgia Edited by: Mrs. Sarah H. Hall Editor Federal Writers• Project Athens, Georgia "?PA Residency No. 6 April 6, 1938 279 Georgia mim Ex-Slave, Age 87 28$ Augusta Are. Athene, Georgia « fhe cold, rainy, and altogether disagreeable weather on the outside was soon forgotten when the interviewer was admitted to the neat little home of Aunt Georgia Smith and found the old woman enjoying the cheerful warmth of her biasing fire. Aunt Georgia appeared to be quite feeble. She was not only willing, but eager to talk of her experiences, and explained that her slow and rather indistinct articulation is one of the several bad after effects of her reeettt stroke of paralysis. *Wj pappy was Blacks tone Smith, and he b* longed to Mars* Jeb Smith. My mammy was Nancy C&appell, owned by Histus Peggie Chappell. •I stayed wid my mammy oa Hiatus Chappell'a plantation in Oglethorpe County, near old Antioch Church. #9en I was •bout five or six years ole ay-mammy died. Den my pappy dose come an' got me, an* I was to stay wid 'im on Marster Smith1* place. Day was good to me dar, but I w&ro't satisfied, an9 I cried for Old Hiatus. •I*d Jee* go •roun* snlfflln*, an' mot satin* mifflm*, an* one day «9en us was plekin* peaches, Marster Smith tole my pappy he better take dat chile back to her old mlstus, 'fo1 she dons git sick far sho*. MoCune 2H0 Page - 2 "Hit was de next day **en dey ax me did I want to see Old Mlstus an* I Jes* ory an* say, 'yassum, • Den Marster say: *Blackstone, hitch a mule to dat wagon, an,< take dat chile right back to her Old Mlstus. • I tell 'em I can walk, Dut dey made ne ride In de wagon, an' I sho* was gl=d I was goln' back home. *I seed Old Mlstus 'fo* I got dar, an* Jumped out of de agon an* run to • er. w*en she seed me, she Jes* grabbed me, an* I thought she was a laughln*, but v/hen I seed d*t she was cryin*, I tole 'er not to cry, dat I wsrn' t goln* to leave ' er no rno*. "Mlstus sho' was good to me, but she was good to all •er niggers, an* dey all loved 'er. Us allus had plenny of ewything, she made us wear plenny of good warm clo'es, an* us wo*e flannel petticoats when hit was cole weather. Ghi?.lun don*t wear *nuff clo'a* iese days to keep *em warm, an nuffln' on deir legs. Hits a wonder dey doan* freeze. ^I diden' stay at de quarters with de udder niggers. L'.lstus kep' me in de big 'ouse wld *er, an* I slep* on a cotton mattress on de floor by cU side of • er bed. She had a stick dat she used to punch me wld wf.sn she wannld somepln* in de night, an' effen I was hard to wake, she sho* could punch wid dat stick. "Mlstus diaen' ever have us niggers whipped * lessen it Jas* had to be done. An' if us chllluns was bad, fussin* an* fightin', Mlstus would git 'er a stick, but us would Jes' run an* hide, an* fiistus -vould forgit all 'bout It in Jes' a little w'ile. MoCune 281 Page - 3 "Marster was dead, an* us had a overseer, but he was good to us Jes* lak' Mistus was. Hit was a big old planta- tion, wld lots of niggers. w*en de overseer would try to lam de chilluns to plow an1 dey dld?n* want to lam, dey '.vould jes' play 'roun*. Sometimes dey snuck off to de udder cide of de fiel* an* hunnid for lizards. Bey \70uld hold a lizard's head wld a stick, an* spit •bacco Jftlee in 'Is mouf an1 turn ' im loose. De 'baoco Juice would make de lizard drunk, and he would run 'roun' en* 'roun'. Dey would eotoh snakes, Kill dem an' hang de skins on trees so hit wodld rain an* dey wouldn't have to wuk in de fiel*. "De quarters was built away f'um de big ' ouse. Day was cabins made of logs an* dey all had dey own gardens wh&r dey raised all kinds of vegetables an' allus had plenny of hog aeat. De cookln' was done on a big fireplace an1 in brick ovens. 'Taters was baked in de ashes, an* dey sho* was . .ood. ''Dey had big times huntln' an* fishln* w'en de wuk was over. D»y cotcii lots of 'possums, an* had big 'possura supperg, De 'possuas '^as roasted with plenny of *taters, butter an* red pepper. Us would eat an' dance most of de night w'en us had a *poss EX-SIA73 BTTST/IEWTt KA.3Y SFITH 910 Spruce Street Augusta, Georgia (Richmond County) BY* (Mrs.) Margaret Johnson Sditor Fed. Writers' Proj. Augus ta, Ge orgi a. (Mrs.) Margaret Johnsor 3*nT*nn District #2 < * *'^W Augusta, oa. IX-SLAVE INTERVIEW Mary Smith, 910 Spruce Street Augusta, Georgia Such a hovel, such squalor it would be hard to imagine ? Only first hand observation could be a reliable witness to such conditions. Into a tiny room was squeezed a double and a single bed with a passage-way barely wide enough to walk between the two beds* The door from the small porch could be opened only enough to allow one to enter, as the head on the single bed was against it. A small fire burned in the open fire place. An old man, ragged but respectful, and two old women were sitting in the room, one on a broken chair, the other on an empty nail keg. As we entered the room one of the old women got up, took a badly clipped and handle- less teacup from the hearth and offered it to a girl lying in the single bed, in a smother of dirty quilts. Mary was a squat figure, her. head tied up in a dirty towel, her dress ragged and dirty, and much too small for her abun# dant figure. She welcomed us telling us the "po chile was bad siokw but she would talk to us. As the door of the lean-to kitchen was open, it offered a breath of outside air, even though polluted with the garbage scattered on the ground, and the odors from chickens, cats and dogs meandering about. Page 8 287 Mary's round face was unwrinkled, but the wisps of wool showing beneath her "head rag" were grey, and her eyes were rheumy with. age. She was entirely toothless and her large tongue rolled ceaselessly in her mouth, chewing nothing* Her articulation necessarily was very poor. "I wus seven yeres old when Freedum cum. My ma and pa belonged to Mr. McNorrell of Burke .County. Miss Sally was a good lady and kind to evebody. My marster was a good man cuz he was a preacher, I never member him whuppin* anybody. I ?members slavry, yes mam, I 'members all the slaves' meals wus cooked in de yard, in big pots hung up on hooks on a iron bar. j The fust wurk I ever done wus to push fire wood under dem pots. Mostly I stayed home and minded de baby. - My ma uster pin a piece of fat back on my dres* before she went to de fiel* and when de baby ory I tek him up and let 'em suck 'em. My brudder you see sit-in* in dere, he de baby I uster mine. My pa wuz the blacksmith on the plantashum, and he mek all de plows and tings like dat. My ma tek me to de fiel when I wuz *bout sever yeres ole and teach me to chop cofcton, I dont member what happen when freedom come, tings wuz 'bout de same, fur as we chi'llun knowed." JELizabeth Watson (Ic/V--...^ •¦¦; /&-j\ M.G. 7/15/37 ^ {*F_l ) 288 _ ql ' 1.00189 v jSx-Slave . T\ MBLVIN SMITH ' t A IZ'J Ex-Slave 96 Years S? "Yes'm, I show does 'member all 'atioat my white folks an* th* war 'cause I ^ was twenty-four year ole when th1 war was over. I was "born in 1841 anf that makes me fhout eighty-seven now, don't it?tf Old Melvin Smith sat "back in his chair with a smile of satisfaction on his face* He was seated on the narrow porch of his little cabin with the "bright sun- shine "beaming down upon him. But his "blind eyes could not notice the glare from the sun. His wife and daughter appeared from around the corner of the house and took their places near him to hear again the story that they had heard many times before. tfUy white folks lived in Beaufort, South CaUina^an1 thatfs whar I was "born, " Melvin continued. "Ifiy old &iss, I called her Mss Mary, took care of me 'till I was eight year old. Then she give me hack to my ma. You see, it was this a-watf. % ma an' pa was sold in Beaufort; I donft know whar they come from "before that. When I was born Mss Mary took me in thf Dig house with her anf thar I stayed, jest like 1 told you, ftill I was ei^ht. Old Miss jest wanted me to he in thf room with her an1 I slepf on a pallet right near her bed. In the daytime I played in thf yard an' I pick up chips for old &ass# Then when I got most "big enuff to work she give me hack to my ma. "Then I live in a cabin like the rest of th1 niggers. Th' quarters was stretch- ed out in a line behind Masse Jim's house. Ever1 nigger fam.'ly had a house to they- selves. iae an1 my pa an1 ma, they names was Nancy an' Henry Smith, live in a cabin with nor sisters. They names was Saphronia an' Annie. We had beds in them cabins made out of cypress. They looked jest like they do now* Ever'body cooked on th1 fire place. They had pots anf boilers that hung over th' fire an1 we put th1 vittles in thar anf they cooked anf we et 'em. 'Course we nexev et so much in th1 cabin 'cause ever mornin' thT folks all went to th' field. Ma an' Fa was fieia hands an' ' *• 289 Melvln Smith, ex-slave. I worked thar too when I got big enuff. Saphronia an1 Annie, they worked to thf "big house. All thf nigger ohillun stayed ail day with a woman that was hired,to take care of them.11 When asked about the kind of food they ate, Melvin replie'd: "We had enuff for anybody. Thf vittles was cooked in great "big pots over thf fire jest like they was cookin1 for stock. Peas in this pot, greens in that one. Corn-bread was made up an1 put bacfc in thf husks an1 cooked in th? ashes. They called that a ash cake. Well, when everfthing was done thf vittles was poured in a trough an1 we all et. We had spoons cut out of wood that we et with. Thar was a big lake on thf plantation whar we could fish anf they show was good when we had fem for supper. Sometimes we go hunt in..9 anf then we had possum an1 squirrel to eat. Thf possums was best of all*" Melvin was asked to tell something about his master fs family. "Old ISarster was name Jim Farrell an1 his wife was Miss Mary. They had three chillun name friary, Jim anf Martha. They live in a big white house sot off from thf road fbout two an1 a half mile from Beaufort. Marster was rich I reckon fcause he had fbout a sixteen horse farm anf a whole hoodie of niggers. If you measured 'em it would a-been several cowpens full. Heap of them niggers worked in liarster's house to wait on thf white folks. They had a heap of comp fny so they had to have a heap of niggers* Marster was good to his niggers but he had a overseer that was a mean man. He beat thf niggers so bad that Marster showed him thf road an1 told him to git. Then th1 Boss an* his son looked after thf hands theyselves ftill they could git another one. That over seer ;f3 name was Jimiqy. "Ever1 morning at four clock thf overseer blowed a conchshell anf all us niggers knowed It was time to git up an1 go to work. Sometimes ho blowed a bugle that'll wake up the nation. Ever1 body worked from sunup ftiU sundown. If we didnft git up when we was afposed to we got a beatln't Marsterfd make fem beat the part that couldnft be bought." Melvin chuckled at his own sly way of saying that the slaves were whipped through their clothes* Melvin Smith, ex-slave* page 3 "In the summertime?* he continued, "We wore shirts that cone down to here,* Melvin measured to Ms ankle* "In the wintertime we wore heavy jeans over then shirts an1 brogan shoes. They mads shoes on the plantation but mine was store* bought. Marster give us all the vittles anf clothes we needed- He was good to everfbody. I 'member all the pof white tzash that lived near us, Marster all time send Yem meat an9 bread anv help fem with they crop. Some of fem come from Ooldsboro, North Oaflina to git a crop whar we lived. They was so sorry they couldn't git no crop whar they come frum, so they moved near us. Sometimes they even come to see the niggers an9 et with us* We went to see them, too, but we had more to eat than them. They was sorry folks*" After a pause, Melvin asked: "Did you ever hear how the niggers was sold? They was[put on a stage on the i courthouse square an9 sold kinder like they was stock. The prettiest one got the biggest bid* They said that they was a market in North Ca9lina but 1 never see1 d it. The ones I saw was jest sold like I told you. Then they went home with they ma raters • If they tried to run away they sont the hounds after them* Them dogs would sniff around an9 first news you knowed they caught them niggers* Marster1 s niggers run away some but they always come back. They9d hear that they could have a better time up north so they think they try it. But they found out that they wasn9t no easy way to live away from Marster. He always took 9em back, didnft beat fem nor nothin9* I run away once myself but I never went nowhere." Melvin*s long body shook with %laughter as he thought of his prank. He shifted in his chair and then began. "I was fbout sixteen anf I took a notion I was grown. So I got under the house right under Marster9 s din in1 room an9 thar I stayed for three months. Nobody but the cook knowed whar I was* They was a hole cut in the floor so ever9 day she lifted the lid an9 give me something to eat* Ever9 day I sneaked out an9 got some water an9 walked about a bit but I never let nobody see me* I jest got biggety like Melrin Smith, ex-slave 4* ^91 chilltin does now* When I got ready to come out for good I went fway round by the barn an1 come up so nobody lcnow whar I been. 01* Miss was standin9 in the yard an* she spy me an* say, f Jim," she always call all us niggers Jim * cause that was Marsterfs name* She say, "Jim, whar you been so long?9 I say,11 been to Mr. Jones*s workin9 but I donft like the way they treat me« You all treats me better over here so I come back home.9 I say, *You ainft gonna whip me is you, Miss?9 01* Miss say, *No, I ain't gonna whip you this time but if you do such a thing again I'm gonna use all the leather on this place on you** So I went on *bout my business an9 they never bothered me.* Melvin was asked about the church he attended* To this he replied: "The niggers had a church in the bush arbor right thar on the place. Preacher Sam Bell come ever' Sunday mornin* at ten clock an9 we sot thar an* listened to him Hill *leven thirty. Then we tear £ome an* eat our dinner an* lie Round till four-thirty* We9d go back to church an9 stay 9bout hour an* come home for supper* The preacher was the onliest one that could read the Bible* When a nigger joined the church he was baptized in the creek near the bush arbor." And in a low tone he began to speak the words of the old song though he became somewhat confused* "Lord, remember all Thy dying groans, And then remember ma* While others fought to win the prize And sailed through bloody sea. "Through many dangers, toils an* snares, I have already come* I once was lost but now sm found, #as blind but now I see*99 "I9ve knowed that song for a long time. I been a meBber of the church for sixty year." When asked about the war, Melvin became somewhat excited. He rose feebly to his feet and clasped his walking stick as if it were a gun* "I see9d the Yankee soldiers drill right thar in front of our house," he said* "They9d be marchin9 *long this way (Melvia stumbllngly took a few steps across the Melvin Smith, ex-slave Page 5* £9* porch) anf the capfn say, fRight1 an9 they turn back this here way** Melvin retraced his steps to illustrate his wards* *Capfn say, •Aim1 an* they aim.* He lifted his stick and aimed. "Capfn say, 9Fire9 an9 they fire* I see9d 9em most ever9 day* 01f Marster was a cap9* in our army* I hear big £ms a-boooin9 all a-time an9 the sights I did see! Streets jest runnin9 with blood jest like it was water* Here lay a man on this side with his legs shot off; on that thar side they was a man with his arms shot off* Some of them never had no head* It was a terrible si git. I wasnft scared • cause I knowed they wouldnft hurt me* Them Yankees never bothered nothin9 we had* I hear some folks say that they stole they vittles but they never bothered ours 9 cause they had plenty of they own* After the war Marster called us together an9 say, f7ou is free an9 can go if you want to9 an9 I left, so thatfs all I know*19 A few days later a second visit was made to Melvin* This time he was on the inside of his little cabin and was all alone. He came forward, a broad smile on his face, when he heard familiar voices* "I been thinkin1 9bout what I told you an1 I bflieve that's fbout all I 9member,lt he said* Then he was aaked if he remembered any days when the slaves did not have to work* "Yes1**," was the reply. "We never worked on Christmas or the Fourth cf July* Marster afrays give us big sacks of ^uit an9 candy on Christmas an9 a barbecue the Fourth of July. We never worked none New Year's Day, neither* We jest sot around an9 et chicken, fish an9 biscuit* Durinf the week on Wednesday an9 Thursday night we had dances anY then they was a lot of fiddlii9 an9 banjo playin9* We was glad to see days when we never had to work 9 cause then we could sleep* It seem like the niggers had to git up soom9s they lay down. Marster was good to us but the overseer was mean* He wanft no pof white trash) he was up-to-date but he like to beat on niggers•" 293 Melrin Smith, ex-slave Page 6* When asked If he has been happier since he was freed, he replied: "In a sense the niggers is better off since freedom come* 01f Marster was good an' kind but I like to be free to go whar I please* Back then we couldn't go nowhar fles8 we had a pass. We don't have no overseer to bother us now* It ainft that I didn't love my Marster but I jest likes to be free* Jest as soon as Maarster said I didn't b'long to nobody no more I left an' went to Tallahassee* Mr. Charlie Pearce come an' wanted some bands to work in orange groves an9 fish for him so that's what I done* He took a whole crew. While we was down thar Miss Carrie Standard, a white lady, had a school for the colored folks. 'Course, my ol' Miss had done taught me to read an' write out of the old blue back Webster but I had done forgot how. Miss Carrie had 'bout fifteen in her class* "I stayed in Tallahassee three years an' that's whar I married the first time* I was jest romancin1 about an' happened to see CA'line Harris so I married her. That was a year after the war* *e never had no preacher but after we been goin' together for such a long time folks say we married. #e married jest like the colored folks does now* When I left Tallahassee 1 moved to another place in Florida, thirteen mile from Thomasville, Ga. I stay thar 'bout thirty-seven year. My first wife died an1 I married another. The second one lived twenty-one year an' I married again. The one what's livln' now is my third one. In 1905 she had a baby that was born with two lower teeth. It never lived but a year. In all. I've had twenty-threa chillun. They most all lives in Florida an' I do&'t know what they doinf or how many chillun they got. I got four gran'-chillun livin' here** Melvin was asked to tell what he knew of the Ku Elux KLan. He answered: "I don't know nothin' 'bout that. I hear somethin' fbout it but I never b'lieved in it. I b'lieve in h'ants, though. I ain't never see'd one but I'se heaid 'em* When you walkin' 'long an' a twig snaps anf you feel like you want to rum an' your legs won't move an* your hair feels like it's goin' to rise off-your Melvln Smith, ex-slave Page 7« head. that's a hafnt after you. That sho is the evil sperrit. An1 if you ainft good somethin1 badfll happen to you." When asked why he joined the church, he replied} "So many people is tryinf to live on flowery beds of ease that the world is in a gamblin1 position anf if it wasnft for the Christian part, the world would be destroyed. Th^y ask God for mercy an1 He grants it. When they git in trouble they can send a telegram wire an1 git relief from on high.* iuoua? f^j PLANTATION LIES as viewed by Ex-Slave NA.MCT SMITH 129 ?lum Street Athens, Georgia Written by: Grace McCune Athens - Edited by: Sarah H. Hall Athens - and John IT. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers1 Project Residencies 6 & 7« isK)l2? 296 NANCY SMITH Ex-Slave - About 80 Years Old. Nancy Smith was in bed v/hen the interviewer called. The aged Negress appeared to be quite feeble but, even though she was alone in the house, her head was tied up in a snowy white cloth and the sickroom was neat and clean. The bowl of fresh flowers on her bedside table was no gayer than Nancy1 s cheerful chuckle as she re- peated the doctor1s instructions that she must stay in bed because of a weak heart* !lLawsy Chile *H she said, "I ain11 dead yit." Nancy stated that the grandson who lives with her has heen preparing . breakfast and cleaning the room since she has been bedridden, and that a niece who lives nearby comes in occasionally during the day to look after her. Asked if she felt strong enough to talk about the old planta- tion days, she answered: UI jus1 loves to talk fbout old times, and I spends a lot of dis lonesome time here by myself jus1 a~studyinf * bout dem days. But now listen, Chile, and understand dis# I warn11 no plantation Negro# Our white folks was town folks, dey was* My Mammy and Daddy was JiUia:_and Jack Carlton• Dey belonged to old Marster, Dr# Joe Carlton, and us lived right here in town in a big white house dat had a upstairs and a downstairs in it. Our house stood right whar de courthouse is nov/. Marster had all dat square and his nother, Mist1 ess Bessie Carlton, lived on de square de other ¦ ¦",'""".......^™™~-~~*^«^*«.:^«K^ side of Marse Joers* His office was on de corner whar de Georgia (Georgian) Hotel is nov/, and his hoss stable was right whar de Gain1 s Page 2» 297 board in* house is. Honey, you jus* ought to have seed Marse Joe's hoss stable for it sho* was a big one. "No Mam, I don't know 'zactly how old I is. I v/as born •fore- de war, and Marse Joe kept de records of all of us and ewy- thing, but somehow dem books got lost. Folks said I was 'bout'de age of Marse Joe's son, Dr. Willie, lifer ster had three boys; Dr. Joe* Jr., Dr. Willie, and Dr. Jimmie, and dere v/as one little Mist'ess. She was Miss Julia. Us all played 'round in de yard together. "Daddy, he was de car'iage driver. He driv Marse Joe 'round, 'cept when Mist'ess wanted to go somewhar. Den Daddy driv- de coach for her, and Marse Joe let another boy go wid him. nDe biggest, bestest fireplace up at de big house was in de kitchen whar Mammy done de cookin'. It had a great wide hearth wid four big swingin' racks and four big old pots. Two of de ovens was big and two was little. Dat was better cookin' 'rangements and fixin's dan most of de other white folks in dis town had den. When dat fire got good and hot and dere was plenty of ashes, den Mammy started cookin' ash cakes and 'taters. One of Mammy's good ash- roasted ' taters would be awful good right now wid some of dat good old home-made butter to go wid it. Marster allus kept jus' barrels and barrels of good old home-made ' 4laj3sjyL_Jlirup» 'cause he said dat was what made sla.ve chilluns grow fast and be strong. .Folks don't know how to have plenty of good things to eat lak us had den. Jus' thinlc of Marse Joe's big old plantation down nigh de Georgia rtoilroad whar he raised our somepin' t'eat: vegetables sich as green corn, Page 3. 298 'taters, cabbages, onions, collards* turnip greens, beans, peas - more dan I could think up all day - and dere was plenty of wheat, rye, and corn for our bread* "Out dar de pastur!s was full of cows, hogs and sheep, and dey raised lots of chickens and turkeys on dat farm. Dey clipped wool from dem sheep to weave wid de cotton when dey made cloth for our winter clothes# HMarster had a overseer to look atter his plantation, but us chillun in tov/n sho'ly did love to be 'lowed to go v/id him or who- ever v/ent out dar v/hen dey needed somepin1 at de big house from de farm. Dey needed us to open and shut gates and run errands, and v/hilest dey was gittin1 up what v/as to be took back to tov/n, us v/ould run fround seein' evvything us could. r,Honey, de clothes us wore den warn1 t lak v/hat folks has now* Little gals jus1 wore slips cut all in one piece, and Doys didn't wear nothin1 but long shirts f til dey was big enough to v/uk in de fields. Dat v/as summer time clothes. In winter, dey give us plenty of warm clothes v/id flannel petticoats and brass-toed shoes. Grown-up Negroes had dresses v/hat v/as made v/id waisties and skirts sev/ed together. Dey had a few gathers in de skirts, but not many. De men wore homespun britches wid galluses to hold fem up. White folks had lots better clothes. Mist'sss* dresses had full, ruffled skirts and, no foolin*, her clothes v/as sho1 ly pretty. De white men- folks :/ore plain britches, but dey had bright colored coats and_gilk vests dat warn11 lak de vests de men wears now. Dem vests was more lak fancy soats dat didn't have no sleeves. Some folks called f em fv/escoats.f Tnite chillun neYer had no special clothes for Junday. Page 4. 299 *Miss Julia used to make me sweep de yard wid a little brushbroom and I had to wear a__bojaaet den to keep dust out of my hair. Dat "bonnet was ruffled fround de front and had staves to hold de brim stiff, but in de back it didn1 t have no ruffle; jus1 de bottom of de crown what us called de bonnet tail. Dem bonnets looked good enough in front but mighty bob-tailed in de back* "Dey used to have big * tractsd meetinfs in Pierce1 s Chapel nigh foundry Street and Hancock Avenue, and us was allua glad for dem meetin* times to come* Through de week day preached at night, but when- Sunday come it was all day long and dinner on de ground* Pierce1 s Chapel was a old fashioned place, but you forgot all fbout dat when Brother Thomas got in de pulpit and preached dem old time sermons fbout how de devil gwine to git you if you don1 t repent and be washed in de blood of de Iamb* De call to come up to de mourner1 s bejjch brought dem Negroes jus1 rollin* over one "another in de fcite~ ment* Soon day got happy and dere was shoutin1 all over de place* Some of fem jus1 fell out. When da f traded meetin* closed and de baptizin1 day come, dat was de happiest time of all. Most of da time dere was a big crowd for Brother Thomas to lead dov/n into de river, and dem Negroes riz up out of de water a-sing inf : Lord» I*m comint Home, Whar de Healin1 Waters Flow, Roll» Jordan Roll» All God* s Chillun Got Wings, and sich lak. You jus1 knov/ed dey was happy* *No Ifem, I don11 tmember much fbout folks dyin1 in dem days •cause I never did love to go * round dead folks* De first corpse I ever seed was Iferse Joe1 s boy, young Marse Jiimy. I was skeered to go Page 5* 8 in dat room f til I had done seed him so peaceful lak and still in dat pretty white casket* It was a sho1 fnough casket, a mighty nice one; not lak dem old home-made coffins most folks was buried in. Hamp Thomas, a colored man dat lived right below us,made coffins for white folks and slaves too* Some of dem coffins was right nice. Dey was made out of pine mostly, and sometimes he painted !em and put a nice linin1 over cotton paddin1 . Dat made 'em look better dan de rough boxes de porest folks was buried in. Mammy said dat when slaves died out on de plantation dey wropped de fomans in windin1 sheets and laid !em on coolin* boards f til de coffins was made. .Dey put a suit of homespun clothes on de mens when dey laid f em out. Dey jus* had a prayer when dey buried plantation slaves, but when de crops was laid by, maybe a long time atter de burial, dey would have a white man come preach a jfun1 ral sermon and de folks would all sings Harps (Hark) Prom De Tomb and Callin* God* s Chillun Home* *Dere warn11 no patterollers in town, but slaves had to have passes if dey was out atter 9tQQ o1 clock at night or de town i^arshal would put a fine on f em if dey couldn't show no pass. *De fust I knov/ed fbout de war was when Marse Joefs brother, Marse Bennie Garlton, left wid de other sojers and pretty soon he got kilt. I was little den, and it was de fust time I had ever seed our Mist1 ess cry. She jus1 walked up and down in de yard a-wringinf her hands and cryin* . fPoor Benny's been killed*1 sne would say over and over* ^When dem yankee sojers come, us warn1 t much 3keered 'cause Marse Joe had done told us all ' bout f era and said to spect f em • f ore Page 6. t long, Sho1 fnough, one day dey come a-lopin1 up in Marse Joef.s yard. Dey had dem old blue uniforms on and evvy one of 'em had a tin can. and a sack tied to his saddle. Marster told us dey kept drinkin* water in dem cans and dey called f em canteens. De sacks was to carry deir victuals in. Dem fellows went all through out big house and stole_whatever dey wanted. Dey got all of Mist1ess1 best silver 1 cause us didn1 t have no time to hide it atter us knowsd dey was nigh * round de place. Dey tuk all de somepin1 t'eat dere was in de big house. When dey had done et all dey wanted and tuk evvything else dey could carry off, dey called us Negroes up !fore deir captain, and he said all of us v/as free and could go any time arid anywhar us wanted to go. Dey left, and us never seed ! em in dat yard no more. Marse Joe said all of us dat wanted to could stay on wid him. None of us had nowhar else to go and ! sides nobody wanted to go nowhar else, so evvy one of Marse Joe's Hegroes stayed right on wid him dat next year. Us warn11 skeered of dem Kluxers (Ku Klux Klan) here in town, but dey was right bad out on de plantations. ¦ M,Bout de time I was old enough to go to school* Daddy moved away from Marse Joe's. Us went over to de other side of de river nigh whar de old check mill is. Dey had made guns dar durin1 de war, and us chillun used to go and look all through dat old mill house. Us played f long de river banks and went swimmin1 in de river. Dem v/as de good old days, but us never realized it den. rtI never went to school much, f cause I jus1 couldn1t seem to larn nothin1• Our teachers said I didn't have no talent for book lamin*• School was taught in Pierce1s Chapel by a Negro man named Page ?• 3()0 Randolph* and he shofly did make kids toe de mark* You had "better know dem lessons or you was gwine to git fanned out and have to stay in atter school* Us got out of school evvy day at 2:00 of clock* Dat was f cause us was town chillun. I was glad I didn1 t live in de country f cause country schools kept de chillun all day long. "It was sort of funny to be able to walk out and go in town whenever us wanted to widout gittin1 Marsterfs consent, but dere warn1 t nothin1 much to go to town for fless you v/anted to buy somepin. A few stores, mostly on Broad Street, de Town Hall, and de Fire Hall was de places us headed for* Us did love to hang 'round whar dat fire engine was, f cause when a firs broke out evvybody went, jus1 evvybody* Folks would form lines from de nearest cis- terns and wells and pass dem buckets of water on from one to another ftil dey got to de man nighest de fire* ttSoon as I was big enough, I went to wuk for white folks* Dey never paid me much in cash money, but things was so much cheaper dan now dat you could take a little cash and buy lots of things* I wukked a long time for a yankee fambly named Palmer dat lived on Ocones Street right below de old Michael house, jus1 ffore you go down de hill* % Dey hajd two or three chillun and I ain1 t never gwine to forgit de day dat little Miss Eunice was runnin1 and playin1 in de kitchen and fell fgainst de hot stove* All of us was skeered most to death f cause it did seem den lak her face was plumb ruint, and for clays folks v/as fmost shof she was gwine to die* xxtter a long, long time Miss Eunice got.well and growed up to be a fine school teacher* Some of dem scars still shows on her face. Page 8. 3{j3 tfc$e and Sara Smith got married when I was 17 ? Ho Chile, us didn't waste no money on a big weddin1 but I did have a right pretty weddinr dress. It was nice and new and was made out • of white silk* My sister was a-cookin1 for Mrs* White at dat time, and dey had a fine two-room kitchen in de back yard set off from de big huuse. My sister lived in one of dem rooms and cooked for de Whites in de other one* Mrs. White let us git married in her nice big kitchen and all de white folks come out from de big house to see Brother Thomas tie de knot for us. Den me and 3am built dis very same house whar you is a-settin! r and I done been livin1 here ever since. "Us was livin1 right here when dey put on dem fust new streetcars. Little bitty mules pulled * em flong and sometimes dey had a right hard time draggin* dem big old cars through mud and bad weather. MTow and den dey got toovfrisky and run away; dat was when dem cars would rock and roll and you wished you could git off and walk. Most of de time dem little mules done good and us was jus1 crazy fbout ridin1 on de streetcars." When Nancy tired of talking she tactfully remarked: "I spects I better git quiet and rest now lak de doctor ordered, out Ifia mighty glad you come, and I hopes you'll be back again ! f ore long. Most folks don11 t$ke up no time wid old wore-out Negroes. Good-bye, Missy.,f ... • • • . ... 100218 304 PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY EX-SLAVE NELLIE SMITH 660 W. Hancock Avenue Athens, Georgia Written fry: Miss Grace McCune Athens - Edited byrMrs. Sarah H. Hall Athens - and John N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers1 Project Residencies 6 & 7 Augusta, Georgia September 2, 1938 805 NELLIE SMITH Ex-Slave - Age 78. Large pecan trees shaded the small, well-kept yard that led to Nellie Smith's five-room frame house. The front porch of her white cottage was almost obscured by a white cloud of fragrant clematis in full blossom, and the yard was filled with roses and other flowers. A small mulatto woman sat in the porch swing, a walking stick across her lap. Her straight, white hair was done in a prim coil low on the neck, and her print dress and white apron were clean and neat. In answer to the visitor's inquiry, she smiled and said: "This is Nellie omith. Won't you come in out of the hot sun? I just knows you is plumb tuckered out. Wralkin' around in this hot weather is goinf to make you sick if you don't be mighty careful. n,Scuse me for not gittin* up. I can't hardly make it by myself since I fell and got hurt so bad. My arm was broke and it looks lak my old back never will stop martin* no more. Our doctor says 1*11 have to stay bandaged up this way two or three weeks longer, but I *spects that's on account of my ac-e. You know old folks' bones don't knit and heal quick lak young folks' and, jus* let me tell you, I've done been around here a mighty long time. Are you comfortable, Child? Wouldn't you lak to have a glass of water? 1*11 call my daughter; she's back in the kitchen." Nellie rapped heavily on the floor with her walking stick, and a tall, stout, mulatto in a freshly laundered house frock made her appearance. "This is my daughter, Amanda," said Nellie, and, Page £• 306 addressing her off-spring, she continued: "Bring this lady a drink of water. She needs it after walkin' 'way out here in this hot sun." Ice tinkled in the glass that the smiling Amanda offered as she in- quired solicitously if there was anything else she could do. Amanda soon went back to her work and Nellie began her narrative. "Lordy, jioney, them days when I was a child, is so far back that I don't s'pect I can 'member much 'bout 'em. I does love to talk about them times, but there ain't many folks what keers any- thing 'bout listening to us old folks these days. If you don't mind we'll go to my room where it'll be more comfortable." Amanda appeared again, helped Nellie to her room, and placed her in a large chair with pillows to support the broken arm. Amanda laughed happily when she noticed her mother's enthusiasm for the opportunity to relate her life story. "Mother likes that," she said, "and I'm so glad you asked her to talk about those 'old times she thinks so much about. I'll be right back in the kitchen ironing; if you want anything, just call me." Nellie now began again: "I was born right near where the Coordinate oollege is now; it was the old Areir place then. I don't know nothin' 'bout my Daddy, but my Mother's name was Harriet Weir, was and she/owned by Marster Jack »Veir. He' had a great big old planta- tion then and the homeplace is still standin', but it has been improved and changed so much that it don't look lak the same house. As Marse Jack's sons married off he give each one of 'em a home and two slaves, but he never did sell none of his slaves, and he told them boys they better not never sell none neither. Page 3* ^Slaves slept in log cabins what had rock chimblies at the end* The rocks was put together with red clay. All the slaves was fed at the big house kitchen. The fireplace, where they done the cookin*, was so big it went fmost across one end of that big old kit- chen. It had long swingin* cranes to hang the pots on, and there was so many folks to cook for at one time that often there was five or six cots over the fire at the same time. Them pots was large too - not lak the little cookin* vessels we use these days* For trie bakin*, they had all sizes of_ovens. Now Child, let Tie tell you, that was good eatin*. Folks donft take time enough to cook right now; They are al- ways in too big a hurry to be doinf something else and donft cook things long enough. Bad; in dem days they put the vegetables on to cook early in the morninf and biled fem ftil they was good and dcjne. The biggest diffunce I see is that folks didnft git sick and stay sick with stomach troubles then half as much as they does'now. vVhen my grandma took a roast out of one of them old ovens it would be brown and juicy, with lots of rich, brown gravy. Sweel^^ and browned in the pan with it would taste mighty fine too. With some of lex good biscuits, that roast meat, broY.ni gravy, and potatoes, you had food good enougn for anybody, I just wish I could taste some more of it one more time before I die. "Why, Child, two of the best cake-makers I ever knew used them old ovens for bakinf the finest kinds of pound cakes and fruit cakes, and evvybody knows them cakes was the hardest kinds to bake we had in them days. Aunt Betsey Cole was a great cake-baker then* She belonged to the Hulls, what lived off down below here Page 4. 308 somewhere but, when there was to be a big weddin' or some 'specially important dinner in Athens, folks 'most always sent for Aunt Betsey to bake the cakes. Aunt Laura McCrary was a great cake-maker too; she baked the cake for President Taft when he was entertained at Mrs. Maggie Welch*s home here* "In them days you didn't have to be runnin' to the store evvy time you wanted to cook a extra good meal; folks raised evvything they needed right there at home. They had all the kinds of vegetables they knowed about then in their own gsrdens, and there was big fields of cornr rve. and wheat. iCvvy big plantation raised its own cows for plenty of milk and butter, as well as lots of beef cattle, hogs, goats, and sheep. •Most all of 'em had droves of chickens, geese, and turkeys, and on our place there were lots of peafowls. When it was goinr to rain them old peafowls set up a big holler. I never knew rain to fail after them peafowls started their racket. "All our clothes and shoes was home-made, and I mean by that they growed the cotton, wool, and cattle and made the cloth find leather on the .plantation. Summer clothes was made of cotton homespun, and cotton and wool was wove together for winter clothin*. Marse Jack owned a man what he kept there to do nothin* but make shoes. He had another slave to do all the__car£ente.rin* and to make all the coffins for the folks that died on the plantation. That same carpenter made 'most all the beds the white folks and us slaves slept on. Them old beds - they called ''em teesters - had cords for springs; Page 5- 309 nobody never heard of no metal springs them days* They jus* wove them cords criss-cross, from one side to the other and from head to foot* When they stretched and sagged they was tightened up,with keys what was made for that purpose.. r'Jusf look at my room," Nellie laughed. ftI saw you lookin' at my bed. It was made at Wood's Furniture Shop, right here in Athens, and I've had: it ever since I got married the first time* Take a good look at it, for there ainft many lak it left.n Nelliefs pride in her attractively furnished room was evident as she told of many offers she has had for this furniture, but she added: "I want to keep it all here to use myself jus1 as long as I live. Shucks, I done got plumb off from what I was tellinf you jus1 ravin1 fbout my old furniture and things. "My Mother died when I was jus1 a little girl and shefs buried in the old family greveyard on the «Veir place, but there are several other slaves buried there and I donft know which grave is hers. Grandma raised me, and I was jus1 gittin' big enough to handle that old peafowl-tail fly brush they used to keep the flies off the we table when/were set free. 11 It wasn't long after the <*ar when the Yankees come to Athens. Folks had to bury or hide evvything they could, for them Yankees jusf took anything they could git their hands on, fspecially good food. They would catch up other folks' chickens and take hams from the smokehouses, and tney jusf laughed in folks1 faces if they said anything fbout it. They camped in the woods here on Hancock Avenue, but of course it wasn't settled then lak it is now. I was Page 6. 310 mighty scared of them Yankees and they didn't lak me neither. One of 'em called me a little white-headed devil. *0ne of my aunts worked for a northern lady that they called Mrs. Meeker, who lived where, the old Barrow home is now. Evvy summer when she went back up North she would leave my aunt and uncle to take care of her place. It was right close to the Yankees* camp, and the soldiers made my aunt cook" for them sometimes. I was livin* with her then, and I was so scared of 'em that I stayed right by her. She never had to worry 'bout where I was them days, for I was right by her side as long as the Yankees was hangin* * round Athens. My uncle used to say that he had seen them Yankees ride to places and shoot down turkeys, then make the folks that owned them turkeys cook and serve *em. Folks used to talk lots 'bout the Yankees stoppin* a white-'oman on the street and takin' her earrings right out of her ears to put *em on a Negra 'ornan; I never saw that, I jus' heard it. "After the war was over Grandpa bought_one of the old slave caMnaJTrom Marse Jack and we lived there for a long time; then we moved out to Hock Spring. I was about eight or nine years old then, and they found out I was a regular tomboy. The woods was all 'round Rock Spring then, and I did have a big time climbin' them trees. I ,jus * fairly lived in 'em durin'1 the daytime, but when dark come I wanted to be as close to Grandpa as I could git. *0ne time, durin* those days at itock Spring, I wanted to go to a Fourth of July celebration. Those celebrations was mighty- rough them days and Grandpa didn't think that would be a good place Page 7. ^11 for a decent little girl, so he didn't want me to go. I cried and hollered and cut up something awful. Grandma told him to give me a gord thrashin* but Grandpa didn't lak to do that, so *he promised me I could go to ride if I wouldn't go to that celebration. That jus' tickled me to death, for I did lak to ride. Grandpa had two young mules what was still wild, and when he said I could ride one of 'em Grandma tried hard to keep me off of it, for she said that critter would be sure to kill me, but I was so crazy to go that nobody couldn't tell me nothin'. Auntie lent me her domino coat to wear for a ridin' habit and I sneaked and slipped a pair of spurs, then Grandpa put a saddle on the critter and helped me to git up on him. I used them spurs, and then I really went to ride. That mule showed his heels straight through them woods and way on out in the country. I couldn't stop him, so I jusf kept on kickin* him with them spurs and didnft have sense to know that was what was makin* him run. I thought themspurs was to make him mind me, and all the time I was lammin' him with the spurs I was hollerin*: 'Stop! Oh, Stopt1 When 1 got to where I was too scared to kick him with the spurs'or do nothinf fcept hang on to that saddle, that young mule quit his runninf and trotted home as nice and peaceable as you please. I never did have no more use for spurs. "Grandpa used to send me to Phinizyfs mill to have corn and wheat ground.~ It would take all day long, so they let me take a lunch with me, and 1 always had the best sort of time when I went to mill. Uncle Isham run the mill then and he would let me think I was helpin1 him. Then, while he helped me eat my lunch, he would call me his little ftomboy galf and wo id tell me about the things he used to do when he was 'bout my age. Page 8. 310 *^y first sehoolin' was in old Pierce*s Gnapel that set right spang in the middle of %ncock Avenue at Foundry Street,' Our teacher was a Yankee man, and we were mighty surprised to find out that he wasn't very hard on us. We had to do something real bad to git a whippin*, but when we talked or was late gittin* to school we had to stand up in the back of the schoolroom and hold up one hand. Pierce*s chapel was where the colored folks had preachin* then - preachin' on Sunday and teachin' oh week days, all in the same buildin*, A long time before then it had been the white folks* ehureh, and Preacher Pierce was the first one to preach there after it was built, so they named it for him. When the white folks built them a new church they gave the old chapel to the colored folks, and, Honey, there was some real preachin* done in that old place. Me, I was a Methodist, but I was baptized just lak the Baptists was down there in the Odonee River. **Me and my first husband was too young to know what > we was doin* when we got married, but our folks give us a grand big weddin'. I think my weddin' cake was fbout the biggest one I ever saw baked in one of them old ovens in the open fireplace. They iced it in white and decorated it with grapes. A shoat was cooked whole and brought to the table with a bJLg red apple in his mouth. Tou know a shoat ain't nothin* but a young hog that's done got bigger than a little pig. We had chicken and pies and just evvything good that went to make up a fine weddin* supper. *Our weddin* took place at night, and I wore a white dress made with a tight-fittin' waist and a long, full skirt that was Page 9. ' 313 jus* covered with ruffles. My sleeves was tight at the wrists but puffed at the shoulders, and my long veil of white net was fastened to my head with pretty flowers. I was a mighty dressed up bride. The bridegroom wore a real dark-colored cutaway coat with a white vest. We did have a swell weddin* and supper, but there wasn't no dancin* ?cause we was all good church folks. "We was so young we Jus1 started out havin* a good time and didn't miss nothin' that meant fun and frolic. We was mighty much in love with each other too. It didn't seem long before we had three children, and then one night he was taken sick all of a sudden and didn't live but a little while. Soon as he was taken sick I sent for the doctor, but my husband told me then he was dyin' fast and that he wasn't ready to die. He said: 'Nellie, here we is with these three little children and neither one of us had been fit to raise 'em. Now I've got to leave you and you will have to raise one of 'em, but the other two will come right on after me.'" For several moments Nellie was still and quiet; then she raised her head and said: "Honey, it was jus* lak he said it would be. He was gone in jus' a little while and it wasn't two weeks 'fore the two youngest children was gone lak their daddy.I .worried lots after my husband and babies was taken. I wanted to be saved to raise my little girl right, and I was too proud to let anybody know how troubled I was or what it was all about, so I kept it to myself. I lost weight, I couldn't sleep, and was jus' dyin' away with sin. I would go to church but that didn't git me no relief. Page 10. 314 "One day a dear, good white lady sent for me to come to the hotel where she was stayin'. She had been a mighty good friend to me for a long, long time, and I had all the faith in the- world in her. She told me that she had a good job for me and wanted me to take it because it would let me keep my little girl with me. She said her best friend's maid had died and this friend of hers needed someone to work for her. *I want you to go there and work for her,* said the white lady, 'for she will be good to you and your child. I've already talked with her about it.* "I took her advice and went to work for Mrs. R. L. Bloomfield whose husband operated the old check mill. Honey, Mrs. Bloomfield was one of God's children and one of the best folks I have ever known. Right away she told her cook: 'Amanda, look after Nellie good 'cause she's too thin.' It wasn't long before Mrs. JBloomfield handed me a note and told me to take it to Dr. Carlton. When he read it he laughed and said: 'Come on Nellie, I've got to see what's wrong with you.' I tried to tell him I wasn't sick, but he examined me all over, then called to see Mrs. bloomfield and told her that I didn't need nothin' but plenty of rest and to eat enough good food. Bless her dear old heart, she done evvything she could for me, but there wasn't no medicine, rest, or food that could help the trouble that was wearin' me down then. "Soon they started a revival at our church. One night I wanted to go, but Aunt Amanda begged me not to, for she said I needed to go to bed and rest; later she said she would go along with me to hear that preachin'. Honey, I never will forgit that night. lag© IX, 81# The text of the serMl iias: 'Come unto me* all you weai?y aaft neayfr laden, and I will give you rest.' When they began Gallih* the mourners to come up to the mourners* bench something'seemed to be Jus* a-pullin* me in that direction, but I was too proud to go. I didn't think then I ever eould go to no mourners* bench or shout. After a while they started singin* Almost Persuaded, and I couldn't wait; I jus' got up and run to that blessed mourners* bench and I prayed there. Honey, I shouted too, for I found the Blessed I»ord that very night and I*ve kept Him right with me ever since. I don*t aim to lose Him no more. Aunt Amanda was most nigh happy as I was and, from that night when the burden was lifted from my heart, I begun gittin* better. *I worked on for Mrs. Bloomfield *til I got married again, and then I quit work *cept for nursin* sick folks now and then fc I made good money nursin' and kept that up 'til I got too old to work outside my own family. *My second husband was Scott Smith. We didn't have no big, fancy weddin* for I had done been married and had all the trimmin's one time. We jus* had a nice quiet weddin* with a few close friends and kinfolks invited. I had on a very pretty, plain, white dress. Again I was blessed with a good husband. Scott fixed up that nice mantelpiece you see in this room for me, and he was mighty handy about the house; he loved to keep things repaired and in order. Best of all, he was jus* as good to my little girl as he was to the girl and boy that were born to us later. All three of my children are grown and married now, and they are mighty good to their old mother. One of my daughters lives in New York. Page 12. 316 *Soon after we married, we moved in a big old house called the old White place that was jus * around the corner from here on Pope Street. People said it was haunted, and we could hear some- thing walkin* up and down the stairs that sounded lak folks. To keep 'em from bein* so scared, I used to try to make the others believe it was jus' our big Newfoundland dog, but one night my sister heard it. She got up and found the dog lyin' sound asleep on.the front porch, so it was up to me to find out what it was. I walked up the stairs without seein' a thing, but, noney, when 1 put my foot on that top step such a feelin* come over me as -*- had never had before in all my life. My body trembled 'til I had to hold tight to the stair-rail to keep from fallin', and 1 felt the hair risin* up all over my head. V/hile it seemed like hours before 1 was able to move, it was really only a very few seconds. I went down those stairs in a hurry and, that from/night to this day, I have never hunted ghosts no more and I don't aim to do it again, never. "I've been here a long time, noney. When them first street lights was put up and lit, Athens was still mostly woods. Them ' old street lights would be funny to you now, but they was great things to us then, even if they wasn't nothin' but little lanterns what burned plain*old lamp-oil hung out on posts. The Old Town Hall was standin' then right in the middle of Market (Washington) Street, between Lumpkin and Pulaski streets. The lowest floor was the jail, °nd part of the ground floor was the old market plaoe. Upstairs was the big hall where they held court, and that was where they had. so many fine shows, '-'/henever any white folks had a big speech to make they "•ent to that big old room upstairs in Town Hall and spoke it to the crowd. nl£°QU is too young to remember them first streetcars what was pulled by little' bitsy Texas mules with bells around their necks. Hearing them bells was sweet music to us when they meant we was goin' to git a ride on them streetcars. Seme folks was too precise to say 'streetcars1; they said 'horseears', but them horse- cars was pulled through the streets by mules, so what's the diffunee? Sometimes them little mules would mire up so deep in the mud they would have to be pulled out, and sometimes, Taken they was feelin* sassy and good, they would jus* up and run away with them streetcars. Them little critters could git the worst tangled up in them lines•* Here Nellie laughed heartily. ^Sometimes they would even try to climb inside the cars. It was lots of fun ridin* them cars, for you never did know what was.goin' to happem before you got back home, but I never heard of no real bad streetcar accidents here.* Nellie now began jumping erratically from one subject to another. "Did you notice my pretty flowers and ferns on the front porch?* she asked. ttI juaf know you didn't guess what I made them two hangin* baskets out of. Them's the helmets that my son ancl my son-in-law wore when they was fightin* in the World War. I puts my nicest flowers in* 'em evvy year as a sort of memorial to the ones that didn't git to feteh their helmets back home. Tes Mam, I had two stars on ray service flag and, while I hated mighty bad that there had to be war, I wanted my family to do their part. "Honey, old Kellie is gittin' a little tired, but jus' you listen to this: I went to meetin' one night to hear the first 'oman preacher that ever had held a meetin' in this town. She was Page 14, 318 meanin* to preach at a place out on Rock Spring Street, and there was more folks there than could git inside that little old weather- boarded house. The place was packed and jammed, but me and Scott managed to git in. Y/hen I saw an old Hardshell Baptist friend of mine in there, I asked her how come she was at this kind of meetin*. ?Curiosity, my child,* she said, *jus* plain old curiosity.* The *oman got up to preach and, out of pure devilment, somebody on the outside hollered: •The house is fallin* down.* Now Child, I know it ain*t right to laugh at preachin's of any sort, but that was one funny scene. Evvybody was tryin* to git out at one time; such cryin*, prayin*, and testifyin* to the Lord I ain't never heard before. The crowd jus' went plumb crazy with fright. I was pushed down and trampled over in the rush before Scott could git me cut; they mighty near killed me.* The old women stopped and laughed until the tears streamed down her face. "You know, lioney," she said, -ahen she could control her voice sufficiently to resume her story, "Niggers ain't got no sense at all when they gits scared. When they throwed one gal out of a window, she called out: *Thank you, Lord,* for the poor thing thought the Lord was savin' her from a fallin* buildin*. Poor old Martha Holbrook,* %--* The sentence was not finished until Nellie's, almost hysterical giggles had attracted her daughter who came to see if something was wrong - "Martha Holbrook," Nellie repeated, "was climbin' backwards out of a window and her clothes got fastened on a nail. She slipped on down and there she was with her legs kickin* around on the outside and the rest of her muffled up in her clothes. Page 15. 819 It looked lak her clothes was jus1 goin* to peel off over her head. It took the menfolks a long time to git her uncaught and out of that predicament in the window. Pretty soon the folks began to come to their senses and they found there wasn't nothin* wrong with the house 'cept that some doors and windows had been torn out by the crowd. They sho did git mad, but nobody seemed to know who started that ruction. My old Hardshell Baptist friend came up then and said: *Curiosity brought us here, and curiosity like to have killed the cat.,M Seeing that Nellie was tired, the visitor prepared to leave. "Goodbye and ^od bless you," were the old woman's farewell words. At the front door Amanda said: HI haven't heard my Mother laugh that way in a long, long time, and I jus* know she is goin* to feel more cheerful after this. Thank you for givin* her this pleasure, and I hope you can come back again.n ¦I- ¦¦' J \ 5 ** pi EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW with I AXIL SMITH 429 China Street Athens, Georgia /ritten by: Miss ^race iicCune Athens - edited by: Mrs* iiarah 11. Hall Athens - Mrs. Leila harris Augusta - and John iT. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers1 Project Residencies 6 & 7 Augusta, Georgia. firm Paul Smith Ex-Slave, Age 74 429 China Street Athens, Georgia Paul Smith's house stands on China Street, a narrow rutted alley deriving its name from the large ohinaberry tree that stands at one end of the alley. Large water oaks furnish ample shade for the tidy yard where an old well,whose bucket hanging from a rickety windlass frame, was supplying water for two Negro women, who were leaning over washtubs. As they rubbed the clothes against the washboards, their arms kept time to the chant of Lord I'se Comin* Home* Paul and two Negro men, barefooted and dressed in overalls rolled to their knees, were taking their ease under the largest tree, and two small mulatto children were frolicking about with a kitten. As the visitor approached, the young men leaped to their feet and hastenad to offer a chair and Paul said: "Howdy-do, Missy, how is you? Won't you have a cheer and rest? I knows you is tired plumb out. Dis old sun is too hot for folkses to be walkin* 'round out doors." Turning to one of the boys he continued: "Son, run and fetch Missy some fresh water; dat'll make her feel better. Jus* how far is you done walked?" asked Paul. Then he stopped one of the women from the washing and bade her"run into the house and fetch a fan for- M4&sy." -2*ik& Paul is a large man, and a fringe of kinky white hair frames his face. His manner is very friendly for, noticing that the visitor was looking with some curiosity at the leather bands that encircled his wrists, the old man'grinned. "Dem's jus1 to make sho' dat I won't have no rheumatiz," he declared. Mind if I cuts me a chaw of 'baccy? I'se jus' plumb lost widout no 'baccy." Paul readily agreed to give the story of his life. "I can't git over it, dat you done walked way out here from de courthouse jus' to listen to dis old Nigger talk 'bout dem good old days. "Mammy belonged to Marse Jack Ellis, and he owned de big old Ellis Plantation in Oglethorpe County whar I was borned. Marse Jack give mammy to his daughter, young Miss Matt, and when her and Marse Nunnally got married up, she tuk my mammy 'long wid her. Mistess Hah'iet (Harriet) Smith owned my daddy. Him and mammy never did git married. My granddaddy and grand- maromy was owned by Marse Jim Stroud of Oconee County, and I dug de graves whar bofe of 'em's buried in Mars Hill graveyard. "All I knows 'bout slavery time is what I heared folkses say, for de war was most over when I was borned, but things hadn't changed much as I was raised up. "I warn't but 'bout 2 years old when young Miss Matt tuk my mammy off, and she put me out 'cause she didn't want me. Missy, dey was sho good to me. Marse Jack's wife was -3- 323 Mistess Lizzie. She done her best to raise me right, and de ways she l'arnt me is done stayed wid me all dese years; many's de time dey's kept old Paul out of trouble. No Mam, I ain't never been in no jailhouse in all my days, and I sho ain't aimin' to de nothin' to make 'em put me dar now. "In dem days, when chillun got big enough to eat, dey was kept at de big house, 'cause deir mammies had to wuk off in de fields and Old Miss wanted all de chillun whar she could 3ee atter *em. Most times dere was a old slave 'oman what didn't have nothin' else to do *cept take keer of slave chillun and feed *em. Pickaninnies sho had to mind too, 'cause dem old 'omans would evermore lay on de switch. Us et out of wooden trays, and for supper us warn't 'lowed nothin' but bread and milk. "Long as us was little, us didn't have to wuk at nothin* 'cept little jobs lak pjLqkin1 up nhips, bringin' in a lJLttle_HOQd, and sometimes de biggest boys had to slop de hogs. Long 'bout de fust of March, dey tuk de pants 'way from all de boys and give 'em little suirts to wear from den 'til frost. Yes Mam, dem snirts was all us boys had to wear in summer 'til us was big enough to wuk in de fields. Gals jus' wore one piece of clothes in summertime too;, dey wore a plain cotton dress. All our clothes, for summer and winter too, was made right dere on dat plantation. Dey wove de cloth on de looms; plain cotton for summer, and cotton mixed wid a little wool for winter. Dere was a man on de plantation what made all our brogans for -4- O^i-i winter. Marster made sho us had plenty of good warm clothes and shoes to keep us warm when winter come. "Folkses raised deir livin', all of it, at home den. Dey growed all sorts of gyarden truck seoh as corn, peas?, beans, sallet, 'taters, collards, ingons, and squashes. Dey had big fields of grain. Don't forgit dem good old watermillions; Niggers couldn't do widout 'em. Marster1s old smokehouse was plumb full of meat all de time, and he had more cows, hogs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, geese, and de lak, dan I ever larnt how to count. Dere warn't no runnin' off to de sto' evvy time dey started cookin' a company meal. "Dem home-made cotton gins was mighty slow. Us never seed no fast sto'-bought gins dem days. Our old gins was turned by a long pole what was pulled around by mules and oxen, and it tuk a long time to git de seeds out of de cotton dat way. I'se seed 'em tie bundles of fodder in front of de critters so dey would go faster tryin' to git to de fodder. Dey grez dem gins wid home- made tar. De big sight was dem old home-made cotton presses. When dem old mules went round a time or two pullin' dat heavy weight down, dat cotton was sho pressed. nUs chillun sho did lak to see 'em run dat old gin, 'cause 'fore, dey ever had a gin Marster used to make us pick a shoe-full or cotton seeds out evvy ni^ht 'fore us went to bed- Now dat don't sound so bad, Missy, but did you ever try to pick any seeds out of cotton? -5- 3So "Course evvybody cooked on open fireplaces dem days, and dat was whar us picked out dem cotton seeds, 'round dat big old fireplace in de kitchen. All de slaves et together up dar at de big house, and us had some mighty good times in dat old kitchen. Slave quarters was jus' little one room log cabins what had chimblies made of sticks and red mud. Dem old chimblies was all de time a-ketchin' on fire. De mud was daubed 'twixt de logs to chink up de cracks, and sometimes dey chinked up cracks in de roof wid red mud. Dere warn't no glass windows in dem cabins, and dey didn't have but one window of no sort; it was jus' a plain wooden shutter. De cabins was a long ways off from de big house, close by de big old spring whar de wash-place was. Dey had long benches for de washtubs to set on, a big old oversize washpot, and you mustn't leave out 'bout dat big old battlin' block whar dey beat de dirt out of de clothes. Dem Niggers would sing, and deir battlin' sticks kept time to de music. You could hear de singin' and de sound of de battlin' sticks from a mighty long ways off. "I ain't never been to school a day in all my life. My time as chillun was all tuk up nussin' Mistess' little chillun, and I sho didn't never git nary a lick 'bout dem chillun. Mistess said dat a white 'oman got atter her one time 'bout lettin' a little Nigger look atter her chillun, and dat 'oman got herself told. !I ain't never uneasy 'bout my chillun when Paul is wid 'em,' Mistess said. When dey started to school, it was my job -6- 326 to see dat dey got dere and when school was out in de evenin1, I had to be dere to fetch dem chillun back home safe and sound. School didn't turn out 'til four o'clock den, and it was a right fur piece from dat schoolhouse out to our big house. Us had to cross a crick, and when it rained de water would back up and make it mighty bad to git from one side to t'other. Marster kept a buggy jus' for us to use gwine back and forth to school. One time atter it had done been rainin' for days, dat crick was so high I was 'fraid to try to take Mistess1 cnillun crost it by myself, so I got a man named Blue to do de drivin' so I could look atter de chillun. Us pulled up safe on de other side and den dere warn't no way to git him back to his own side. I told him to ride oack in de buggy, den tie de lines, and de old mule would come straight back to us by hisself. Blue laughed and said dere warn't no mule wid dat much sense, out he soon seed dat I was right, cause dat old mule come right on back jus' lak I said he would. "Us chillun had gojd o.i.d times back den, yes Mam, us sho did. Some of our best times was at de old swijimin' hole. De place whar us dammed up de crick for our swimmin1 hole was a right smart piece off from de big house. Us picked dat place 'cause it had so many big trees to keep de water shady and cool. One 3unaay, when dere was a big crowd of wnite and colored chillun bavin' a big time splashin' 'round in de water, a white man v;hat lived close by tuk all our clothes and hid 'em way up at his house; den he got up in a tree and hollered lak evvything was atter him. Lawsy, Miss, us chillun all come out of dat crick -7- 32? skeered plumb stiff and run for our clothes, Dey was all gone, but dat never stopped us for long. Us lit out straight for dat man's house. He had done beat us gitting dar, and when us come runnin* up widout no clothes on, he laughed fit to kill at us. Atter while he told us he skeered us to keep us from stayin' too long in de crick and gittin* drownded,but dat didn't slow us up none 'bout playing in de swimmin* hole. "Talkin' 'bout being, skeered, dere was one time I was skeered I was plumb ruint. Missy, dat was de time I stole somepin' and didn't even know I was stealin'. A boy had come by our place dat day and axed me to go to de shop on a neighbor's place wid him. Mistess 'lowed me to go, and atter he had done got what he said he was sont atter, he said dat now us would git us some apples. He was lots bigger dan me, and I jus' s'posed his old marster had done told him h3 could git some apples out of dat big old orchard. Missy, I jus* plumb filled my shirt and pockets wid dem fine apples, and us was bavin* de finest sort of time when de overseer cotch us. He let me go, but dat big boy had to wuk seven long months to pay for dat piece of foolishment. I sho didn't never go nowhar else wid dat fellow, 'cause my good old mistess said he would git me in a peck of trouble if I did, and I had done larn't dat our mistess was allus right. "Times has sho done changed lots since dem days; chillun warn't 'lowed to run 'round den. When I went off to -8- Oj^O church on a Sunday, I knowed I had to be back home not no later dan four o'clock. Now chillun jus' goes all de time, whar-some- ever dey wants to go. Dey stays out most all night sometimes, and deir mammies don't never know whar dey is half de time. 'Tain't right, Missy, i'olkses don't raise deir chillun right no more; dey don't larn 'em to be 'bejient and don't go wid 'em to church to hear de Word of de Lawd preached lak dey should ought to. "Fore de war, colored I'olkses went to de same church wid deir white folkses and listened to de white preacher. Slaves sot way back in de meetin'-house or up in a gallery, but us could hear dem good old sermons, and dem days dey preached some mighty powerful ones. All my folkses jined de Baptist Church, and Dr. John Hell's father, Dr. Pat Mell, baptized evvy one of 'em. Course I growed up to be a Baptist too lak our own white folkses. "Slaves had to wuk hard dem days, but dey had good times too. Our white folkses looked atter us and seed dat us had what-some-ever us needed. When talk come 'round 'bout havin* separate churches for slaves, our white folkses give us deir old meetin'-house and built deyselfs a new one, but for a long time atter dat it warn't nothin' to see white folkses visitin' our meetin*s, cause dey wanted to help us git started off right. One old white lady - us called her Aunty Peggy - never did stop comin* to pray and sing and shout wid us 'til she jus' went off to sleep and woke up in de better world. Dat sho was one good 'ornan • -#* 339 "Some of dem slaves never wanted no 'ligien, and dey jus* laughed at us cause us testified and shouted. One day at ehurek a good old *eman got right 'hind a Nigger dat she kad done made up ker mind ske was gwine to see saved 'fore dat meetin' ended. Ske drug 'iia up to de mourner's bench. He 'lowed he never made no prep'ration to come in dis world and dat ke didn't mean to make none to leave it* Ske prayed and prayed, but dat fool Nigger jus' laughed right out at her. Finally de 'oman got mad. 'Laugh if you will,' ske told dat man, 'tie Good Lawd is gwine to purge out your sins for sko, and when you gits full of biles and sores you'll be powerful glad to git somebody to pray for you. Dat ain't sill; de same Good Lawd is gwine to liek you a thousand lashes for ewy time you is done made fun of dis very meetia',' Missy, would you believe it, it warn't no time 'fore dat man sickened and died right out wid a cancer in kis mouf • Does you 'member dat old sayin' 'De ways of de Lawd is slow but sko?' "Corpses was washed, good soon atter de folkses died and deir clotkes put on 'em, den dey was laid on coolln' boards 'til deir coffins was made up. Wky Missy, didn't you know dey didn't kave no sto'-bougkt coffins dem days? Dey made *em up ''»'¦¦ right dere on de plantation. De corpse was measured and de coffin made to fit it. Sometimes dey was lined wid black calico, and sometimes dey painted 'em black on de outside. Dere warn't no undytakers den, and dere warn't none of dem vaults to set coffins -io. 830 in neither; dey jus* laid planks crost de top of a coffin 'fore de dirt was piled in de grave. "When dere was a death 'round our neighborhood, evvy- body went and paid deir 'spects to de f.ambly of de dead. Folkses sot up all night wid de corpse and sung and prayed. Dat settin' up was mostly to keep cats offen de corpse. Cats sho is bad atter dead folks; I'se heared tell dat dey most et up some corpses what nobody warh't watchin*. When de time come to bury de dead, dey loaded de coffin on to a wagon, and most times de fambly rode to de graveyard in a wagon too, but if it warn't no fur piece off, most of de other folkses walked. Dey started singin1 when dey left de house and sung right on 'til dat corpse was put in de grave. When de preacher had done said a prayer, dey all sung: I'se Born to Die and Lay Pis Body Down. Dat was 'bout all dere was to de buryin', but later on dey had de funeral sermon preached in church, maybe six months atter de buryin'• De white folkses had all deir funeral sermons preached at de time of de buryin*• "Yes Mam, I 'members de fust money I ever wuked for. Marster paid me 50 cents a day when I got big enough to wuk, and dat was plumb good wages den. When I got to whar I could pick more'n a hunnerd pounds of cotton in one day he paid me more. I thought I was rich den. Dem was good old days when us lived back on de plantation. I 'members dem old folkses what used to live 'round Lexin'ton, down in Oglethorpe County. 331 -li- chen us warn't out in de fields, us done little jobs 'round de big house, de cabins, barns, and yards, Us used to holp de older slaves git out whiteoak splits, and dey larnt us to make cheer bottoms and baskets out of dem splits. De best cheer bottoms what lasted de longest was dem what us made wid red ellum withes. Dem old shuck bottoms was fine too; dey plaited dem shucks and wound *em 'round for cheer bottoms and footsmats. De 'omans made nice hats out of shucks and wheat straw. Dey plaited de shucks and put 'em together wid plaits of wheat straw. Dey warn't counted much for Sunday wear, but dey made fine sun hats. "Whilst us was all a-wukin' away at house and yard jobs, de old folkses would tell us 'bout times 'fore us was borned. Dey said slave dealers used to come 'round wid a big long line of slaves a-marchiii' to whar dere was gwine to be a big slave sale'. Sometimes dey marched 'em here from as fur as Virginny. Old folkses said / dey had done been fetched to dis country on boats. Dem boats j was painted red, real bright red, and dey went plumb to Africa \ to git de niggers. Wheft dey got dere, dey got off and left de bright red boats empty for a while, diggers laks red,and dey would git on dem boats to see what dem red things was. When de boats was full of dem foolish Niggers, de slave dealers would sail off wid *em and fetch 'em to dis country to sell 'em to folkses what had plantations. Dem slave sales was awful bad in some ways, 'cause sometimes dey sold mammies away from deir babies -12- and famblies got scattered. Some of 'em never knowed what 'corned oi deir brudders and sisters and daddies and mammies. T'I seed dem Yankees when dey come, but I was too little to know much about what dey done. Old folkses said dey give de Athens people smallpox and dat dey died out right and left, jus1 lots of 'em. 'Fore dey got rid of it, dey had to burn up beds and clothes and a few houses. Dey said dey put Lake Brown and Clarence Bush out in de swamp to die, but dey got well, come out of dat swamp, and lived here for years and years. "Granddaddy told us 'bout how some slaves used to rum off from deir marsters and live in caves and dugouts. He said a man and a 'oman run away and lived for years in one of dem places not no great ways from de slave quarters on his marster's place. Atter a long, long time, some little white chillun was playin' in de woods one day and dumb up in some trees. Lookin* out from high up in a tree one of 'em seed two little pickaninnies but he couldn't find whar dey went. When he went back home and told 'bout it, evvybody went to huntin' 'em, s'posin' dey was lost chillun. Dey traced 'em to a dugout, and dere dey found dem two grown slaves what had done run away years ago, and dey had done had two little chillun born in dat dugout. Deir marster come and got 'em and tuk 'em home, but de chillun went plumb blind when dey tried to live out in de sunlight. Jey had done lived under ground too long, and it warn't long 'fore bofe of dem chillun was daid. -13- uoo "Dem old slavery-time weddin's warn't laic de way folkses does when dey gits married up now; dey never had to buy no license den. When a slave man wanted to gi$ married up wid a gal he axed his marster, and if it was all right wid de marster den him and de gal come up to de big house to jump de broomstick *fore deir white folkses. De gal jumped one way and de man de other. Most times dere was a big dance de night dey got married. "If a slave wanted to git married up wid a gal what didn't live on dat same plantation he told his marster, den his marster went and talked to de gal's marster. If bofe deir marsters 'greed den dey jumped de broomstick; if neither one of de marsters wouldn't sell to de other one, de wife jus' stayed on her marster*s place and de husband was 'lowed a pass what let him visit her twict a week on Wednesday and Sadday nights. If he didn't keep dat pass to show when de patterollers cotch him, dey was more'n apt to beat de skin right off his back. Dem patterollers was allus watchin' and dey was awful rough. No Mam, dey never did git to beat me up. I out run 'era one time, but I evermore did have to make tracks to keep ahead of 'em. "Us didn't know much 'bout folkses bein* kilt 'round whar us stayed. Sometimes dere was talk 'bout devilment a long ways off. De mostest troubles us knowed *bout was on de Jim Smith a plantation. Dat sho was a big old place wid/heap of slaves on it. Dey says dat fightin* didn't 'mount to nothin'. Marse Jim Smith got to be miguty rich and he lived to be an old man. He died out widout never gittin' married. Folkses said a nigger boy dat was his son was willed heaps of dat propity, but folkses beat -14- ¦*'*" him out of it and, all of a sudden, he drapped out of sight. Some says he was kilt, but I don't know nothin' 'bout dat. "Now Missy, how come you wants to know 'bout dem frolics us had dem days? Most of 'em ended up scandlous, plumb scandlous. At harvest season dere was cornshuckin*s, wheat-thrashin's syrup-cookin's, and logrollin's. All dem frolics come in deir own good time. Cornshuckin's was de most fun of * em all. Ewybody come from miles around to dem frolics. Soon atter de wuk got started, marster got out his little brown jug, and when it started gwine de rounds de wuk would speed up wid sich singin' as you never heared, and dem Niggers was wuking in time wid de music. Ewy red ear of corn meant an extra swig of liquor for de Nigger what found it. When de wuk was done and dey was ready to go to de tables out in de yard to eat dem big barbecue suppers, dey grabbed up deir marster and tut him to de big house on deir shoulders. When de supper was et, de liquor was passed some more and dancin* started, and sometimes it lasted all night. Folkses sometimes had frolics what dey called fairs; dey lasted two or three days. Wid so much dancin', eatin', and liquor drinkin' gwine on for dat long, lots of fightin' took place. It was awful. Dey cut on one another wid razors ajad knives jus' lak dey was cuttin' on wood. I 'spects I was bad as de rest of 'em 'bout dem razor fights, but not whar my good old mist'ess could larn 'bout it. I never did no fightin' 'round ae meetin'-house. It was plumb sinful de way some ofvdem Niggers would git in ruckuses right in meetin' and break up de services. 835 -15- "Brudder Bradberry used to come to our house to hold prayermeetin's, but Lawsey,- Missy, dat man could eat more dan any Nigger I ever seed from da$ day to dis. When us knowed he was a- Gamin' Mistess let us cook up heaps of stuff, enough to fill dat long old table plumb full, but dat table was allus empty when he left. Yes Mam, he prayed whilst he was dere, but he et too. Dem prayers must*a made him mighty weak. "Marster Joe Campbell, what lived in our settlement, was sho a queer man. He had a good farm and plenty of most evvy- thing. He would plant his craps evvy year and den, Missy, he would go plumb crazy evvy blessed year. Folkses would jine in and wuk his craps out for him and, come harvest time, dey had to gather fem in his barns, cause he never paid 'em no mind atter dey was planted. When de wuk was all done for him, Marster Joe's mind allus come back and he was all right 'til next crap-time. I told my good old marster dat white man warn't no ways crazy; he had plumb good sense, gittin* all dat wuk done whilst he jus1 rested. Marster was a mighty good man, so he jus' grinned and said 'Paul, us mustn't jedge nobody.1 "When marster moved here to Athens I come right 'long wid 'im. Us started us a wuk-shop down on dis same old Oconee River, close by whar Oconee Street is now. Dis was mostly jus* woods. Dere warn't none of dese new-fangled stock laws den, and folkses jus' fenced in deir gyardens and let de stock run evvywhar. Dey marked hogs so evvybody would know his own; some cut notches in de ears, some cut off de tails or marked noses, and some put marks on de hoof part of de foots. Mr. Barrow owned 'bout 80 acres in woods spread over Oconee Hill, and de hogs made for dem woods whar dey jus1 run wild. Cows run out too and got so wild dey would fight when dey didn't want to come home. It warn't no extra sight den to see folkses gwine atter deir cows on mules. Chickens run out, and folkses had a time findin* de aigs and know- in' who dem. aigs b'longed to. Most and gen'ally finders was keepers far as aigs was consarnt but, in spite of all dat, us allus had plenty, and Mistess would find somepin' to give folkses dat needed to be holped. "When us come to Athens de old G-eorgy Railroad hadn't never crost de river to come into town. De depot was on de east side of de river on what dey called Depot Street. Daddy said he holped to build dat fust railroad. It was way back in slavery times. Mist'ess Hah'iet Smith's husband had done died out, and de 'minstrator of de 'state hired out most all of Mist'ess' slaves to wuk on de railroad. It was a long time 'fore she could git 'em back home. "Missy, did you know dat Indians camped at Skull Shoals, down in Greene County, a long time ago? Old folkses said dey used to be 'round here too, 'specially at Cherokee Corners. At dem places, it was a long time 'fore dey stopped plowin' up bones whar Indians had done been buried. Right down on dis old river, nigh Mr. Aycock's place, dey says you kin still see caves -17- whar folkses lived when de Indians owned dese parts. If high waters ain't washed 'em all away, de skeletons of some of dem folkses what lived dar is still in dem caves.. Slaves used to hide in dem same caves when dey was runnin* off from deir marsters or tryin' to keep out of de way of de law. Dat's how dem caves was found; by white folkses huntin' runaway slaves. "Now Missy, you don't keer nothin* *bout my weddin* • To tell de trufe, I never had no weddin*; I had to steal dat gal of mine. I had done axed her mammy for her, but she jus* wouldn*t *gree for me to have Mary, so I jus* up and told her I was gwine to steal dat gal. Dat old *oman * lowed- she would see *bout dat, and she kept Mary in her sight day and night, inside de house mos*ly. It looked lak I never was gwine to git a chance to steal my gal, but one day a white boy bought my license for me and I got Brudder Bill Mitchell to go dar wid me whilst Mary*s ma was asleep. Us went inside de house and got married right dar in de room next to whar she was sleepin*• When she waked up dere' was hot times *round dat place for a while, but good old Brudder Mitchell stayed right dar and holped us through de trouble. Mary's done been gone a long time now and I misses h^er mighty bad, but it won't be long now *fore de Lawd calls me to go whar she is. "I done tried to live right, to keep all de laws, and to pay up my jus' and honest debts, cause mist*ess larnt me dat. 338 -18- I was up in Virginny wukin* on de railroad a few years ago. De boss man called me aside one day and said; 'Paul, you ain't lak dese other Niggers. I kin tell dat white folks raised you.' It sho made me proud to hear him say dat, for I knows dat old Miss up yonder kin see dat de little Nigger she tuk in and raised is still tryin' to live lak she larnt him to do." When the visitor arose to leave, old Paul smiled and said "Goodby Missy. I'se had a good time bringin' back dem old days. Goodby, and God bless you." 100103 339 $ # [A^vtj SUBJECT:............EMSLINE STEPNEY, A DAUGHTER OF SLAVERY DISTRICT:........... W. P. A. NO. 1 RESEARCH Y/CRKER:.....JOSEPH E. JAFFEE EDITOR:..............JOHN N. BOOTH ' SUPERVISOR:..........JOSEFH E. JAFFEE (ASST. ) 111 1Q0103 • :340 K3SISLINE STEPNEY, 4 DAUGHTER OF SLAVERY Emeline Stepney, as she came into the office lhat July day, was a perfect vignette from a past era. Over 90 years old, and unable to walk without support, she was still quick witted and her speech, although halting, was full of dry humor. Emeline was clad in a homespun dress with high collar and long Ileeves with wristbands. On her feet she wore "old ladies' comforts." She was toothless and her hands were gaarled and twisted from rheumatism- and hard work. Emeline's father, John Smith, had come from Virginia and belonged to "Cap'n Tom Wilson." Her mother, Sally, "wuz a Georgia borned nigger" who belonged to "Mars Shelton Terry." The two plantations near Greensboro, in Greene County, were five miles apart and the father came to see his family only on Wednesday and Saturday nights. The arrangement evidently had no effect in the direction of birth control for Emeline was the second of thirteen children. Life on the Terry place was a fairly pleasant exis- tence. The master was an old bachelor and he had two old mild sisters, ^iss Sarah and Mies Rebecca. The plantation was in charge of two overseers who were reasonably kind to the negroes. * "~ No y^rops of any kind were sold and consequently the plantation had to be self-sustaining. Cotton was spun into clothing in the master's own spinning room and the garments were worn by the master and slavefalike. A small amount of flax was E&ised each year and from this the master's two Page - 2. . .jy.341 sisters made household linens. Food crops consisted of corn, wheatj/(there was a mill on the plantation to grind these into flour and meal) sweet potatoes, and peas. In the smoke house there was always plenty of pork, beef, mutton, and kid. The wool from the sheep was made into blankets and woolen garments. The Terry household was not like other menages of the time. There were only one or two house servants, the vast ma- jority being employed in the fields. Work began each morning at eight o'clock and was over at sundown. No work was done on Saturday, the day being spent in preparation for Sunday or in fishing, visiting, or "jes frolicin'". The master frequently let them have dances in the yards on Saturday afternoon. To supply the music they beat on tin buckets with sticks. On Sunday the negroes were allowed to attend the "white folks' church" where a balcony was reserved for them. Some masters required their "people" to go to church; but Emeline's master thought it a matter for the individual to decide for himself. Eraeline was about 15 when her first suitor and future husband began to come to see her. He came from a neighboring farm and had to have a pass to show the "patty rollers" or else he would, be whipped. He never'stayed at night even af- ter they were married because he was afraid he might be pun- ished. The slaves were never given any spending money. The men were allowed to use tobacco and on rare occasions there was "toddy" for them. Emeline declares SHE never used liquor and ascribes her long life partly to this fact and partly to her belief in God. -3 _ . f^34S 7 . She believes in signs but interprets them differently from most of her people. She believes that if a rooster crows he is simply "crowin1 to his crowd" or if a cow bet* ilows it is "mos1 likely bellowin1 fer water." > If a person sneezes while eating she regards this as a sign that the person is eating too fast or has a bad cold. She vigorously denies that any of these offleRS foretells death. Some "fool nigger" believe that<$n itching foot predicts a journey to a .^strange land; but Emeline thinks it means that the foot needs washing. Aunt Emeline has some remedies which she has found very effective in the treatment of minor ailiments. Hoarhound tea and catnip tea are good for colds and fever. Yellow root will cure sore throat and a tea made from sheep droppings' will make babies teethe easily. "I kin still tas'e dat sassafras juice mammy used.to give all de chilluns." She cack|gji|fd as she was led out the door. Whitley, .........i*—^. Rose o4j3 On November 18, 1936 Amanda Styles ex-slave, was interviewed at her residence 268 Baker Street N. £* Styles is about 80 years of gge and could give but a few facts concerning her life as a slave• Her family be- longed to an ordinary class of people neither rich nor poor* Her master Jack Lambert owned a small plantation; and one other slave besides her family which included her mother, father and one sister* The only event during slavery that impresssd Itself on Mrs, Styles was the fact that tfien the Yanks came to their farm they carried off her mother and she was never heard of again* Concerning superstitions, signs, and other stories pertaining to this Mrs* Styles related the following signs and events* As far as possible the stores are given in her exact aords* nDuring my day it fas going ter by looking in the clouds* Seme folks could read the signs there* A 'Oman that whistled wuz marked to be a bad 'omen* If a black cat crossed your path you sho would turn round and go anudder way* It was bad luck to sit on a bed and w when I wuz small I wuz never allowed to sit on the bed*" Following are stories, related by Mrs* Styles, which had their origin during slavery and immediately following slavery* "during slavery time there was a family that had a daughter afld she married and ebby body said she wuz a witch cause at night dey sed she would turn her skin inside out and go round riding folks tansx horses* Der next morning der horses manes would be tied up* Now her husband didn't know she was a witch so somebody tole him he could tell ty cutting off one of her limbs so one night the wife changed to a cat and the husband cut off her fore- finger what had a ring on It* After that der wife would keep her hand hid cause her finger wuz cut off; and she knowed her husband wfeuld find out that she wuz the witch* **«•z* 344 2-4-37 816* * Whitley, Ross My mother sed her young mistress wuz a witch and she too married but her husband didn't know that she wuz a witch; and she would go round at night riding horses and turning the cows milk into blood* Der folks didn't know what ter do Instead of milk they had blood. So one day a old lady came there and told em that a witch had been riding the cow, and to east off the spell, they had to take a horse shoe and put it In the bottom of the churn and then the blood would turn back ter milk and butter. Sho nuff they did it and got milk. Aaudder man had a wife that wuz accused of being a witch so he cut her leg off and it wuz a cats' leg and when his wife came back her leg was missing* They say there wuz a lot of conjuring too and I have heard 'bout a lot of it* My husband told me he went to see a 'oman once dat had scorpions in her body* The conjurer ijbtjbdc did it by putting the blood of a scorpion in her body and this would breed more scorpions In her* They had to get anudder conjurer to undo the spell* There wuz anudder family that lived near and that had a daughter and when she died they say she had a snake in her body* My husband sed he wuz conjured when he wuz a boy and had ter wlak with his arms outstretched he couldn't put em down at all and couldn't even move fenu One? day he met a old man and he sed "Son whats der matter wid you? WI don't know he sed "Den why don't you put your arms down11 I can't*" So the old man took a bottle out of his pocket and rubbed his arms straight down 'till they got alright. He told me too bout a 'oman fixing her husband* This 'oman saw anudder man she wonted so she had her husband fixed so he would throw his arms up get on his knees and bark just like a dog* So they got seme old man that wuz a conjurer to ccme and cure him* He woulda died if they hadn't got Bage 3. o,jr Utoitley, Sec. O^Q 2-4-37 R©ss» that spell off him* My father told me that a 'oman fixed anudder one eause she married her sweetheart she told her he nebber would do her any good and sho miff she fixed her so dat she would have a spell ebby time she went to church* One day they sent fer her husband and asked him what wuz the matter with her and he told them that this other oman had fixed her with conjure* They sent for a conjurer and he came and rubbed seme medicine on her body and she got alright* During slavery time the master promised ter whip a nigger add itoen he came out ter whip him instead he just told him "Go on nigger fbout your business• Der Nigger had fixed him by spitting as for as he could spit so the master couldn9t come any nearer than that spit* 1 know a Nigger that they sed wuz kin ter the devil* He told me that he could go out hind the house and take some noise and the devil would come and dance with him* He sed the devil learned him to play a banjo and if you wanted to do anything the devil could do, go to a cross road walk back* wards and curse God* But don't nebber let the devil touch any of your works or anything that belonged to you or you would lose your power* The nearest I ebber came ter believing in conjure wuz when my step mother got sick* She fell out with an foman that lived with her daughter cause this oman had did something ter her daughter; and so she caliled her a black kinky head hussy and this oman got fight in mad and sed ter her* "Nebber mind you'll be nappy and kinky headed too when I git through wid you* My Ma's head turned real white and funny right round the edge and her mind got bad and she used to chew tobacco and spit in her hands and rub it in her head; and very soon all her hair feftl out* She even quit my father after living with him 20 years saying he had poisoned her* She stayed sick a long time and der doctors nebber could understand her sickness* She died and I will always believe she wuz fixed* SEC 2-4-37 Page 4, 3^(] Whitley, Ross After relating the last story my interview with Mrs* Styles came to an end. I thanked her and left, wondering over the strange storfces she had told me.